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UMASS/AMHERST  9 


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LIBRARY 


OF  THE 


MASSACHUSETTS 
AGRICULTURAL 


NO. 


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souRc    487 
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This  book 


only,    and 
CENTS  a| 
the  day  in( 


DATE  DUE 

Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Archive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 

Boston  Library  Consortium  IVIember  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/fivehundredquest01darr 


FIVE  HUNDRED 

QUESTIONS... 


and  ANSWERS 


ON 


POULiTt^V  HfllSIflG. 


A  Book  of   Practical    Authentic   Information   In  the   Form  of 

Questions    and   Answers    on  Various   Subjects,   as 

Feed  and  Care,  Diseases,  Eggs,,  Incubators 

Buildings,  Etc.,  with  a  Chapter  on 

Turkeys,  Geese  and  Ducks. 


SY    J.    W.    DARROW. 


Chatham,  N.  Y. 

J.  Wallace  Darrow. 

1899. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Feeding  and  Care. 


CHAPTER    II. 

Diseases  of  Poultry. 


CHAPTER    III. 

About  Eggs. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Poultry  Buildings, 


CHAPTER    V. 

Incubators  and  Broiler  Raising. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Miscellaneous  Inquiries, 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Turkeys,  Ducks  and  Geese. 


CllAPTER     f- 


jnmmseed,  Sorghum,  Etc. — Are  the  seeds 
k«re  named  good  for  fowls  ? 

Flaxseed  meal  may  be  fed  in  small 
quantity,  but  it  should  be  used  with 
discretion.  A  gill  to  10  hens  in  soft 
food,  twice  or  three  times  a  week  is 
taflBcient,  as  it  is  somewhat  laxative. 
Sorghum  seed  is  a  good  feed  and 
may  be  fed  almost  as  freely  as  corn. 
Broom  corn  seed  is  excellent  and 
Kiay  be  fed  every  other  day  in 
winter. 


.  Vegetables  for  fr^Mfe**.— I  wish  to  devote 
a  portion  of  my  garden  to  raising  some  vege- 
tables to  feed  my  poultry  next  winter.  What 
would  you  advise  ? 

Cabbage  and  turnips;  getting  a 
good  winter  variety  of  the  former, — 
Drumheads  or  Sureheads;— and  the 
purple  top  strap  leaf  turnips.  These 
can  be  sown  as  late  as  July,  where 
early  peas  and  early  potatoes  have 
oome  out  Clover  hay  cut  fine  and 
steamed,  is  far  superior  to  cabbage, 
turnips,  etc.  It  seems  to  be  exactly 
the  thing  wanted,  the  cabbage,  etc,, 
being  a  makeshift. 

Onions  and  Eggs. — My  fowls  love  onions, 
but  it  is  said  that  onions  give  the  eggs  an 
«Bion  flavor.    Do  they  ? 

No;  onions  do  not  affect  the  flavor 
of  the  eggs.  Onions  have  been  fed 
for  weeks  at  a  time  along  with  other 
food,  with  no  taint  perceptible  in 
the  eggs.  It  would  be  just  as  rea- 
sonable to  say  that  chicks  hatched 
from  esgs  laid  by  onion  eating  hens 
would  smell  and  taste  of  the  onion  I 
A  difference  in  food  no  doubt  affects 
the  color  of  the  yolk ;  the  eggs  from 
hens  fed  on  corn  have  a  deeper  and 
richer  colored  yolk  than  the  eggs  of 
hens  fed  strictly  on  nitrogenous 
foods.  Fowls  that  have  free  range 
eat  everything  that  a  crow  will  eat, 
and  yet  their  eggs  do  not  taste  of 
garbage  or  carrion.  Onions  are  a 
healthful  food  for  fowls,  often  better 
than  medicine. 


Feeding  Oats, — Are  oats  a  good  gr&la  for 
fowls  ? 

Oats  may  be  used  as  a  portion  of 
the  ration  for  poultry  the  year 
round,  and  especially  for  the  lar|^ 
Asiatic  varieties  that  are  predis- 
posed to  i)ut  on  an  excess  of  fat 
when  fed  in  the  ordinary  way.  But 
we  would  recommend  that  the  oats 
be  good  and  sound,  and  first-class  in 
quality,  otherwise  they  will  not  do 
as  a  constant  feed. 


Carbonaceous  Foods.— Please  give  &  IJst 
of  the  foods  whi3h  are  carbonaceous  and  of 
those  which  are  nitrogenous.  Which  of  the 
above  are  for  bone  and  feathers  and  which 
are  for  fat  and  muscle  ? 

Carbonaceous  foods  are  the  grains, 
with  fat  of  any  kind,  as  well  as 
potatoes  and  other  starchy  foods. 
Nitrogeneous  foods  are  milk,  meat, 
beans,  clover  and  the  grasses.  The 
nitrogenous  form  bone,  feathers,  and 
muscle.  The  carbonaceous  form  fat. 
All  foods,  however,  are  to  a  certain 
extent  both  carbonaceous  and  nitro- 
genous, hence  a  list  could  not  he 
well  arranged. 


Boiv  Often  to  Feed. — Would  you  adTise 
the  feeding  of  fowls  three  times  a  day,  when 
they  are  enclosed  in  yards,  during  the  win- 
ter months,  when  the  days  are  so  short  T 

When  fowls  are  inclosed,  with  no 
exercise,  they  are  liable  to  become 
over  fat.  The  proper  method  is  to 
feed  only  twice  a  day.  In  the  morn- 
ing give  about  a  quart  of  grain  to 
15  hens,  scattered  in  litter,  and  com- 
pel them  to  scratch  and  work  for  it. 
At  night  give  the  same  quantity.  If 
fed  too  frequently  they  will  expect  to 
receive  food,  and  will  not  work,  fol- 
lowing the  attendant  constantly. 
Of  course  when  we  mention  grain, 
we  refer  not  to  grain  only,  but  a 
variety  of  feed. 


0  S  V^f 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


Sun  Flower  Seeds.— Are  sun  flower  seeds 
good  for  poultry  ? 

Yes.  Feed  a  pint,  three  times  a 
week,  to  12  bens,  and  they  will  be 
found  excellent.  They  are  very 
nitrogenous  and  also  rich  in  fats. 


Sugar- Cane  Seed,  Etc. — What  properties 
are  claimed  in  the  sugar-cane  seed,  and  with 
what  grain  does  it  compare  best — wheat  or 
corn  ?  Will  sweet  skimmed  milk  answer  the 
place  of  fresh  meat  for  young  chicks  ? 

It  approaches  more  to  wheat  than 
to  corn,  but  is  more  nitrogenous 
than  corn.  The  skimmed  milk  will 
not  take  the  place  of  meat,  but  is 
excellent.  Give  any  amount  they 
will  drink  of  the  milk. 


Beef  Blood. — Is  beef  blood  good  for  chick- 
ens, and  how  is  it  best  prepared  ? 

Beef  blood  is  excellent,  being  rich 
in  nitrogen,  and  nearly  approaches 
the  white  of  the  egg  in  composition. 
It  may  be  thickened  with  a  mixture 
of  meal  and  bran,  put  in  a  bag  and 
boiled,  or  it  may  be  mixed,  if  fresh, 
with  the  regular  soft  food.  Feed  it 
only  twice  or  three  times  a  week. 


Curing  and  Feeding  Clover. — When 
should  clover  be  cut,  and  do  you  make  it  in 
hay  or  pack  it  away  in  boxes  while  green  ? 
Do  you  steam  it  before  feeling  ? 

Clover  should  be  cut  when  the 
blossoms  begin  to  turn  brown.  It  is 
then  at  its  best  with  the  seed-making 
material  stored  up  in  the  stalk.  It 
can  be  siloed  in  boxes  or  barrels, 
but  probably  the  most  convenient 
way  of  keeping  it  is  to  make  it  into 
hay,  and  when  wanted  to  feed,  run 
it  through  a  hay-cutter  or  clover 
cutter,  cutting  it  into  about  half- 
inch  lengths,  and  steam  in  a  closed 
vessel.  Siloed  clover  is  no  doubt 
better  if  it  is  perfectly  siloed,  but  we 
would  advise  anyone  inexperienced 
in  siloing  to  experiment  with  a  small 
quantity  first,  making  hay  his  chief 
reliance.  Some  poultrymen  fill  a 
huge  kettle  with  clover,  pour  on  a 
couple  of  buckets  of  hot  water,  and 
put  a  slow  fire  under  it  to  keep  up 
the  steaming  and  bring  to  a  boil, 
then  stirring  in  meal  and  sorts  to 
make  a  mash.  Excellent  results  are 
also  obtained  by  simply  cutting  up 
the  clover  into  a  firkin  or  tub,  pour- 
ing boiling  hot  water  onto  it,  letting 
it  steam  (covered  closely)  all  night. 
This,  fed  clear,  is  very  like  the  grass 
that  biddy  gets  when  running  at 
large,  and  is  an  excellent  green  feed. 


Beans  for  Fotvls  —Are  Red  Kidney  beana 
cooked  and  mixed  with  ground  feed  good  for 
hens  that  lay  ? 

They  are  excellent,  being  highly 
nitrogenous,  but  too  expensive  for 
the  purpose  as  compared  with  grain. 


Coal  Ashes  — Is  it  a  good  plan  to  keep  a 
supply  of  coal  ashes  before  hens  so  they  can 
pick  them,  eat  all  they  desire,  and  wallow  in 
them? 

Use  coal  ashes,  but  first  sift  them. 
The  fowls  will  eat  a  great  deal  of  the 
course  stuff  in  the  dust  and  ashes. 


Meat  Scraps.— Are  the  meat  scraps  where 
tallow  is  pressed  out  good  for  chickens  7  Or 
is  that  good  where  lard  is  pressed  out  by  the 
butchers  ? 

As  the  grease  is  usually  very 
thoroughly  extracted  by  pressure 
and  heat,  the  scraps  may  not  con- 
tain much  fat.  They  may  be  used 
if  not  fed  in  excess. 

Feeding  Ten  Sens. — I  have  ten  hens,  and 
can  feed  them  three  times  a  day, — morning, 
noon  and  night.  What  in  your  judgment 
should  I  feed  them  ? 

You  will  probably  find  the  plan  of 
using  cut  clover,  (scalded)  sprinkled 
with  meal,  excellent  in  the  morning, 
with  wheat  at  night.  A  mash  of 
cooked  vegetables,  corn  meal,  fine 
feed  and  shorts,  with  a  handful  of 
ground  beef  scrap  for  animal  food, 
also  gives  a  very  perfect  ration  and 
a  variety.  We  advise  feeding  this 
only  once  a  day,  grain  at  other 
times. 

Green  Oats  and  Bye. — Are  green  oats  as 
good  as  clover  hay  for  hens,  and,  what  time 
ought  they  to  be  cut  ?    Is  rye  good  also  ? 

When  young  grass,  rye  or  oats  are 
cut  before  making  much  growth 
they  are  watery  and  contain  little 
nutrition;  too  much  of  such  feed 
causes  the  hens  to  have  scours. 
Many  persons  have  been  disap- 
pointed in  confining  their  fowls  on 
young  rye  or  an  exclusive  feed.  It 
is  excellent  as  a  diecary  food,  but  all 
very  young  grass  is  mostly  water. 
We  do  not  advise  cutting  such  for 
winter  use,  but  if  oats  are  grown 
and  the  crop  cut  when  the  grain  is 
in  the  milky  stage,  near  the  stage  of 
maturity,  the  nutritive  matter,  on 
its  way  to  fill  the  grain,  will  be  ar- 
rested in  the  stalk,  so  that,  when 
cured,  the  whole  stalk  (with  the 
grain)  if  cured,  stored  in  the  barn. 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


and  cut  with  a  fine  cutter,  will  make 
excellent  feed  for  the  hens.  The 
oats  should  be  cut  green,  just  as 
the  seed  heads  begin  to  form.  No 
green  feed  equals  clover,  however. 


Young  Calves  JTea*.— Will  it  pay  to  use 
the  meat  of  young  calves  for  poultry  ?  If  so, 
bow  should  it  be  prepared  ? 

Prepare  it  by  cooking  to  a  broth 
and  thicken  with  meal  and  ground 
oats  It  is  always  a  good  ration  for 
fowls,  but  ground  bone  and  meat  is 
superior. 


Sutter inilH.— Is  the  buttermilk  beneficial 
•r  injurious  to  poultry?  If  not  injurious 
irill  all  they  want  hurt  them  ? 

It  is  excellent.  Give  them  all  they 
wish  of  fresh  milk,  sour  milk,  butrer- 
milk  or  milk  in  any  form.  For 
chicks  use  only  the  fresh  milk. 


Carrots  as  Feed. — Are  carrots  as  good  as 
kay  feed  for  hens,  either  boiled,  mashed  and 
mixed  with  wheat  middlings,  or  should  they 
l»e  chopped  fine  and  fed  raw  ? 

Carrots  are  a  good  vegetable  feed 
either  cooked  or  raw.  There  is  no 
need  to  chop  them  fine  to  feed  raw. 
Split  them  in  halves  and  the  fowls 
will  eat  the  meat  all  out  of  them. 


Gravel. — Why  is  gravel  recommended  for 
fowls  ? 

The  gravel  serves  as  teeth  in  the 
gizzard  and  assists  in  grinding  and 
pulverizing  the  food.  The  lack  of  a 
proper  ground  diet  often  causes 
bowel  troubles  in  fowls,  hence 
gravel,  hard  bone,  or  some  sharp 
substances,  should  always  be  within 
reach  of  the  fowls. 


General  Feeding. Tell  use  in  a  general 

way  how  to  feed  laying  hens  ! 

Keep  in  view  the  fact  that  when 
a  hen  is  laying  she  is  a  producer, 
hence  when  a  number  of  hens  are 
together,  and  some  are  not  laying, 
the  non  laying  hens  may  become  too 
fat,  not  being  required  to  utilize 
materials  in  producing  eggs,  it  is 
best,  therefore,  to  separate  the  lay- 
ers from  the  others.  In  the  morn- 
ing give  all  the  cut  clover  hay 
(scalded)  they  will  eat.  At  night 
give  a  pound  of  cut  fresh  meat  and 
bone  to  16  hens,  with  all  the  oats, 
wheat  or  corn  that  they  will  eat. 


Feeding  Timothy,  Jtye,  Etc.— Row  about 
the  use  of  Timothy  (or  Herdsgrass)  as  a 
green  food  for  poultry  in  winter  ?  It  seems 
to  be  tender  and  nice,  and  not  aifected  by 
frosts.  Would  it  be  better  than  the  steamed 
clover  hay  ?  Are  turnip  top  leaves  good  to 
feed  hens  ? 

Yes,  it  would  be  one  of  the  best  of 
green  feeds,  and  nearly  equal  to 
steamed  clover  hay.  Turnip  tops 
are  also  good,  but  not  equal  to  fresh 
grass. 

Feed  for  Chicks.— Wh&t  kind  of  feed  is 
best  for  young  chicks  when  their  feathers 
begin  to  grow  rapidly  ? 

Grive  a  little  chopped  lean  meat, 
cooked,  three  times  a  week ;  keep 
pin-head  oatmeal  before  them  all 
the  time,  also  cooked  potatoes,  tur- 
nips or  anything  that  they  will  eat. 
A  small  box  of  ground  bone  should 
be  within  access. 

Bone  Meal  — Please  tell  me  how  to  feed 
bone  meal  to  the  chickens ;  what  proportion 
to  feed  to  pullets  and  old  hens  ? 

It  is  usual  to  allow  one  pound  of 
bone  meal  or  ground  meat  to  l6 
fowls,  and  it  may  be  mixed  with 
other  food.  A  little  box  of  bone- 
meal  may  be  kept  before  them  all 
the  time,  if  preferred,  as  they  will 
not  consume  more  than  they  desire. 


Green  Feeds. — We  o;ten  speak  of  green 
feeds.  What  would  you  class  under  this 
head  ? 

The  list  comprises  grass  and  grass 
seed,  green  corn,  ensilage,  cabbage, 
clover,  purslane,  young  beets,  garlic, 
onions,  leeks,  lettuce,  turnips,  pump- 
kins, apples,  kohl  rabi  and  carrots. 


Sash  for  Poultry. — Wnat  ingredients 
are  best  to  use  in  a  poultry  hash  ? 

It  may  be  made  out  of  meat  boiled 
and  minced,  mashed  potatoes,  wheat 
bran,  corn  meal  and  oat  meal,  with 
a  slight  sprinkling  of  bone  dust, 
the  whole  mixed  with  the  liquor  the 
meat  was  boiled  in.  Chandlers' 
scraps  soaked  over  night  in  cold 
water  and  afterward  minced,  may 
serve  in  the  place  of  meat. 


Feeding  Mixed  Grain. — Would  you  ad- 
vise feeding  grains  mixed  or  separately  ? 

All  grains  should  be  scattered  in 
litter,  such  as  leaves  or  cut  straw,  so 
as  to  compel  the  birds  to  scratch  for 
them,  and  also  to  prevent  the  greedy 


FivK  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


hens  from  robbing  those  that  are 
timid.  It  is  advisable  to  change  the 
feed  by  giving  wheat  one  day,  corn 
the  next,  and  oats  the  next.  Sorg- 
hum seed,  sunflower  seed,  buck- 
wheat, or  barley  may  also  have 
places  in  the  rotation. 

length  of  Cut  Clover. — Would  you  please 
tell  me  what  is  the  proper  length  to  cut 
rtover  ? 

For  fowls  do  not  cut  in  lengths 
longer  than  half  an  inch — the  shorter 
the  better.  It  is  an  excellent  ration 
and  fowls  love  it  greatly. 

Jtaw  Meat. — Having  had  poor  luck  with 
ray  hens  in  hatching  this  spring,  I  thought 
I  -would  ask  you  if  it  is  injurious  to  feed  raw 
meat  to  hens  whose  eggs  are  to  be  used  for 
hatching  ? 

The  raw  meat,  if  lean,  should  be 
given  three  times  a  week.  It  will 
not  affect  the  hatching  of  the  eggs. 
Half  an  ounce  for  each  hen  is 
enough. 

Feed  for  Iiight  Srahmas. — I  have  thir- 
teen Light  Brahma  Hens.  They  are  all 
irell.but  do  not  lay,  Can  you  tell  me  what 
is  the  best  feed  for  them,  and  what  propor- 
tion to  feed  ? 

The  Brahma  is  somewhat  indolent 
in  disposition,  and  becomes  fat  very 
readily.  When  they  appear  in  per 
feet  health,  and  do  not  lay,  feed 
o&ts,  wheat,  and  meat  occasionally. 

Charcoal. — What  are  the  benefits  to  be  de- 
riyed  from  feeding  charcoal  ? 

Ctarcoal  serves  more  as  a  correc- 
tive than  any  other  purpose,  as  it  is 
not  digestible,  being  one  of  the  most 
insoluble  substances  known.  It 
should  always  be  freshly  burned 
before  using  it.  It  corrects  acidity 
and  also  partially  serves  as  grit. 

Clover  Ensilage,  Etc. — Is  clover  ensilage 
good  for  laying  hens  in  the  winter?  Is  it 
better  than  clover  hay  cut  fine  and  fed  ? 
Can  it  be  fed  to  young  chicks  without  in- 
jury, provided  it  is  sweet  ?  Are  sugar  beets 
ft  good  winter  feed  for  fowls  in  confinement? 

Clover  ensilage  is  excellent  for 
fowls  in  winter;  it  being  more  suc- 
culent than  cured  hay,  it  makes  a 
better  feed.  Young  chicks  will  re- 
ceive no  itijury  from  it  if  fed  intelli- 
gently. The  beets  make  a  very 
good  winter  relish. 


To  MaJee  Grit, — Will  ground  bone  anawer 
for  grit  T  Will  granulated  charcoal  act  tn 
any  measure  as  grit  ?  Would  our  commoa 
granite,  pounded  or  ground,  be  as  good,  or 
better,  than  gravel  or  sand  7 

Ground  bone  makes  excellent  grit, 
as  it  is  hard  and  sharp,  but  flint,  or 
some  very  hard  substance  is  better: 
Pounded  glass,  broken  china,  or  any 
sharp  substance,  may  also  be  used. 
Charcoal  is  rather  too  soft  and  is 
used  more  as  a  corrective  of  bowel 
disorder. 

Tr««  -Feee^j*.— Is  it  well  to  feed  wet  foods  T' 
how  do  they  effect  fowls  ? 

Too  wet  feed  causes  diarrhoea,  di- 
lutes the  intestinal  juices  too  much 
and  soon  knocks  the  chickens  off 
their  legs.  A  good  dough  may  be 
made  of  corn  meal,  oat  meal,  wheat 
bran  and  boiled  vegetables  mashed 
in  the  proportion  of  one  third  of 
each,  and  wet  with  milk  or  water, 
the  former  preferred.  Wet  feed  may 
be  occasionally  allowed  as  a  variety, 
but  dry  feed  is  always  better. 


XJie  Grain  Jtation. — How  much  graiir 
should  be  given  18  hens  for  dinner  and  sup- 
per ? 

We  would  not  advise  a  noon  meaL 
The  regular  allowance,  (or  estimate) 
of  grain  is  one  quart  per  day  for  12 
hens,  with  other  food  as  a  variety, 
but  no  estimate  can  really  be  made, 
as  no  two  hens  are  alike.  Some  will 
consume  twice  as  much  as  others, 
and  a  laying  hen  requires  more 
meat  than  the  non-layer.  If  too 
much  grain  is  eaten  the  hen  may 
become  too  fat  to  lay.  An  excellent 
way  to  estimate  is  to  allow  four 
ounces  of  mixed  food  (grain,  clover, 
cabbage,  etc.)  for  each  fowl. 


Feeding  for  Fattening. — When  Is  the 
proper  time  to  begin  to  feed  fowls  for  fatten- 
ing? 

Fattening  must  not  be  begun  until 
the  fowl  has  attained  its  full  growth, 
as  growing  animals  or  birds  do  not 
fatten  as  readily  as  adults,  although 
of  course  all  extra  food  that  will  be 
digested  is  never  lost.  The  pullets 
ai"e  best  taken  before  they  have  be- 
gun toJ,lay;  the  male  birds  when 
their  tails  begin  to  turn,  that  is 
when  the  two  sickle  feathers  begin 
to  top  the  straight  feathers  of  the 
tail.  The  average  age  will  be  four 
months  in  summer  and  iive  to  six  in 
winter,  but  will  be  early  according 
as  the  previous  feeding  has  or  has 
not  been  judiciously  generous. 


Five  Hundbbd  Questions  akd  Akswebs 


Seeding  CAicfc*.— What  is  the  best  feed  to 
give  young  chicks,  say  until  they  are  four  or 
six  weeks  old  7  Is  there  any  danger  of  over- 
feeding chicks  of  that  age,  or  is  it  proper  to 
keep  a  dish  of  cracked  wheat  or  corn  before 
them  all  the  time  ?  Is  sweet  milk,  butter- 
jmilk  or  curds  good  for  chicks  ?  In  fattening 
«hickens  for  market,  what  kind  of  feeding 
gives  the  best  results  ? 

The  first  feed  should  be  pin  head 
oat  meal,  varied  with  cooked  ground 
grain  (or  bread),  and  then  mixed 
grain,  such  as  wheat  and  cracked 
corn,  (as  soon  as  they  can  eat  it) 
with  mashed  potatoes  fed  every  two 
hours  the  first  week,  then  four  times 
a  day.  Also  give  a  little  meat  three 
times  a  week.  We  do  not  think  you 
can  feed  growing  chicks  too  much. 

The  sweet  milk  etc.,  is  good  if 
fresh.  Plenty  of  cracked  corn  and 
mashed  potatoes  are  good  for  fatten- 
ing chicks.  Young  chicks  require 
neither  feed  nor  drink  on  the  day  on 
which  they  are  hatched;  in  fact,  both 
are  injurious,  as  they  interfere  with 
the  natural  digestion  of  the  yolk, 
which  is  absorbed  into  the  bowels  at 
the  period  of  hatching  and  consti- 
tutes the  first  feed. 


Bowo«  a«  n  Voultry  feed.— With  corn  at 
$1.50  per  bushel,  what  do  yon  consider  the 
value  of  green  bone  as  poultry  feed  after  it 
has  passed  through  a  bone  cutter  ? 

When  corn  reaches  $1.50  per  bushel 
feed  may  be  considered  high.  The 
usual  estimated  allowance  of  corn, 
or  its  equivalant,  for  a  hen,  for  one 
year,  is  five  pecks,  valued  where 
corn  is  worth  §1.50  per  bushel,  at 
'$1.87^.  At  about  20  cents  per  dozen 
for  eggs  (as  an  average  price)  a  hen 
must  lay  iO  dozen  eggs  a  year,  to 
give  a  profit  on  the  feed,  and  when 
the  estimate  is  made  for  a  whole 
flock  the  probability  is  that  nine 
dozen  eggs  per  year  will  be  nearer 
the  number.  Green  bones,  cut  (they 
cannot  be  ground,)  contain  meat,  oil 
and  phosphate  of  lime.  The  bones 
also  contain  a  considerable  propor- 
tion of  nitrogen  independent  of  the 
adhering  meat,  cartilage  and  mar- 
row. As  they  differ  in  composition 
from  grain,  a  proper  comparison  is 
not  easily  made  between  the  two, 
especially  as  much  depends  on  the 
kind  tf  bones,  and  the  amount  of 
meat  adheriug  to  them,  and  whether 
it  is  fat  or  Ifan.  Bones  are  more 
concentrated  t(jod  than  grain,  about 
one  oauce  of  cut  bone  being  con- 
sidered a  fair  allowance  for  each  hen 
per  day,  or  about  33  pounds^  per 
year. 


The  bones  alone  are  not  sufficient, 
as  the  fowls  will  need  also  grain  and 
green  feed,  but  bones  may  assist  hi 
reducing  the  quantity  of  grain  re- 
quired. Grain  is  not  a  complete- 
feed  either,  and  in  feeding  bones  or. 
other  feed,  the  allowance  of  fiv» 
pecks  of  corn  is  reduced  in  propor- 
tion to  the  amount  of  other  feed 
given  as  a  substitute  The  value  of 
23  pounds  of  green  bones  depends 
upon  the  locality.  We  buy  them 
from  the  butcher  at  two  cents  per 
pound,  but  probably  could  not  get 
them  at  all  if  there  were  a  strong 
competition  to  secure  them.  The 
labor  of  grinding  the  bones  is  also 
an  item,  but  cut  bones  just  as  they 
come  from  the  mill,  and  as  fine  as 
sausage  meat,  are  now  on  the  mar- 
ket, in  small  boxes,  at  five  cents  per 
pound.  At  this  price  the  23  pounds 
would  be  valued  at  $1.15,  which 
would  be  cheaper  than  corn  at  $1.87^ 
for  five  pecks.  The  bone  being 
more  concentrated  (containing  less 
water  than  corn)  is  really  more  val- 
uable, bulk  for  bulk,  than  corn. 
Leaving  out  the  labor  of  grinding, 
the  bones  are  valued  at  46  cents. 
This  estimate  is  made  for  a  year's 
supply  of  corn  and  of  bones.  It 
must  not  be  overlooked  that  bones 
alone  will  not  answer.  Five  pecks 
of  corn  a  year  is  an  allowance  of 
about  three  ounces  per  day  to  each 
hen.  By  reducing  the  amount  of 
grain  to  li  ounces,  and  the  amount 
of  bone  to  half  an  ounce,  the  pro- 
portions will  be  fair,  but  of  course, 
in  feeding,  it  is  to  be  considered 
that  the  hen  requires  less  help 
in  the  shape  of  food  in  summer; 
green  food  is  also  a  factor,  and  the 
condition  and  breed  of  the  hens  ar« 
very  important  considerations  to 
say  nothing  of  the  fact  that  appe- 
tites differ,  and  that  individual 
characteristics  must  be  observed. 


Miscellaneous    Inquiries. 

What  shall  I  feed  molting  hens  ? 
(Give  a  variety  of  food.  Meat  and 
bone  twice  a  week.  A  teaspoonf ul 
of  linseed  meal  in  the  grain  daily.) 
Is  buckwheat  bran  good  for  chicks 
when  wet  up  ?  (Yes )  Are  refuse 
crackers  good  for  fowls?  (Excellent.) 
How  will  it  do  to  feed  fowls  with 
bran,  mixed  with  potatoes  ?  (It  is 
excellent.)  Is  bran,  cornmeal  and 
ground  feed,  mixed  with  water, 
good  for  a  morning  feed  ?  (Yes.)  Is 
popcorn  equal  to  corn  as  food  for 
fowls  and  chicks  ?  (Yes,  better,  as  it 
contains    more  nitrogen  and  phos- 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


phates.)  Is  stove  coal  and  cinders 
from  the  stove  good  for  laying  hens? 
(Of  no  value  except  for  the  hens  to 
pick  over  for  grit.)  Would  crushed 
cuttle  bone  (same  as  used  for  canary 
birds)  be  of  any  benefit  to  chickens? 
Would  it  be  a  substitute  for  ordinary 
bone  ?  (It  is  of  no  value.)  Is  the 
small  white  clover  as  good  as  the  red 
for  use  in  feeding  poultry  ?  (Yes ;  it 
is  fully  equal  to  the  red.)  Is  the 
refuse  from  a  distillery  good  for 
chickens  ?  Rye  is  what  they  use. 
(If  fed  moderately  it  is  excellent.) 
Should  buckwheat  be  fed  whole  or 
ground  ?  (Either  mode  will  answer, 
but  it  is  usually  fed  whole.)  How 
could  a  person  keep  green  clover 
enough  to  feed  400  chickens  all  win- 
ter? (You  cannot  well  keep  it  green 
without  the  use  of  the  silo.)  Is  brew- 
ery grain  in]  urious  for  hens  to  eat? 
Also  cracked  acorns,  which  they 
like  so  much.  (Not  injurious  if  fed 
moderately.)  Is  lettuce  good  for 
young  chickens  or  will  it  make  them 
sleepy  and  dumpish?  (Excellent) 
Will  cotton-seed  meal,  if  fed  to  fowls 
too  much,  cause  the  eggs  to  fail  to 
hatch?  (it  is  fattening,  but  being  of 
a  constipating  tendency  is  seldom 
used.)  Is  water  cress  good  for  fowlfe? 
(Yes:  Excellent.) 


Feeding  Condensed  in  a  Nutshell. 

Avoid  tonics,  condition  powders, 
etc.,  in  the  poultry  yard. 

Always  keep  your  hens  at  work. 
An  ideal  hen  is  never  a  good  layer. 

Good  warm  shelter  saves  feed,  and 
the  better  is  the  cheaper  and  the 
lower  its  cost. 

Fresh  meat  and  bone,  cut  with  a 
bone  cutter,  will  make  hens  lay 
when  all  other  feeds  fail. 

Give  warm  water,  three  times  a 
day,  in  winter.  It  is  invigorating, 
and  is  superior  to  tonics. 

Grain  is  deficient  in  lime  and 
mineral  matter,  but  bran  is  rich  in 
nitrogen,  carbon  and  mineral  mat- 
ter. 

Linseed  and  cotton  seed  (cake  or 
meal)  is  excellent  given  occasionally. 

More  damage  is  done  by  overfeed- 
ing than  from  roosting  in  the  trees 
and  allowing  no  food.  Both  are  ex- 
tremes. 

Beans  and  peas,  cooked  and  thick- 
ened with  bran,  and  fed  twice  a 
week,  make  an  excellent  feed  for 
laying  hens. 


The  cardinal  foods — cut  clover 
hay,  meat  and  bone,  and  mixed 
grain,  the  clover  in  the  morning  and 
the  latter  at  night. 

Breed  is  everything.  The  ma- 
chine for  converting  feed  into  eggs 
must  be  of  the  best  to  be  had.  Any- 
thing and  everything  will  not  do. 

If  the  hens  have  a  range  in  the 
summer  they  will  need  no  feed  at 
all.  It  should  cost  nothing  to  pro- 
duce eggs  in  summer. 

When  your  birds  have  bowel 
disease  change  the  feed  for  a  day  or 
two,  and  change  the  grit.  One-half 
the  troubles  are  from  the  lack  of 
sharp,  hard  grit. 

Cooked  turnips  or  potatoes,  with 
chopped  clover,  and  thickened  with 
ground  corn  and  oats,  makes  the 
feed  for  ducks  and  geese,  and  is  ex- 
cellent for  hens  also. 

One  quart  of  grain  feed  per  day, 
for  ten  hens,  is  considered  liberal 
feeding.  This  is  equivalent  to  five 
pecks  a  year  to  each  hen.  If  grass 
and  meat  are  fed  give  only  half  the 
grain. 

The  hen,  like  the  cow,  must  be 
given  bulky  feed.  Give  her  all  the 
chopped  clover,  scalded,  that  she 
can  eat;  The  clover,  with  one 
ounce  of  lean  meat  per  day,  will 
soon  compel  her  to  lay. 

Common  fowls  are  nondescripts,  no 
two  being  alike.  One  flock  of  com- 
mon fowls  may  be  something  differ- 
ent from  another.  Economize  in 
feed  by  using  the  breeds,  so  as  to 
understand  their  characteristics. 

The  ordinary  ground  meat  will 
keep  any  length  of  time.  It  is  the 
residuum  of  soap  factories  after  the 
fat  has  been  extracted  under  hydrau- 
lic pressure,  and  with  the  aid  of 
superheated  steam. 

Separate  the  layers  from  the 
others.  You  cannot  keep  old  hens, 
pullets,  fat  hens,  and  lean  hens  to- 
gether any  more  than  you  can  keep 
dry  cows,  heifers  not  yet  in  milk, 
and  fresh  cows  together,  for  they  do 
not  require  the  same  feed. 

Leghorns  and  Brahmas  cannot 
thrive  together.  Have  your  flocks 
uniform.  When  you  send  to  a 
breeder  for  eggs  of  pure  breeds  re- 
member that  in  that  case  "  eggs  are 
not  eggs."  It  is  the  stock  you  seek, 
not  eggs  particularly.  You  can  get 
eggs  at  home,  but  not  stock  of  the 
kind  you  wish. 


CHAPTER     il. 

I3ise£Lses  of  Poi:iltP3r. 


Roup,  its  Causes,  Symptoms  and  Treat- 
ment. 


Causes  of  Roup. — Roup  has  its 
chief  cause  in  a  cold  and  a  cold  may 
be  taken  in  numerous  ways,  chief  of 
which  are  draughts  of  winds  blowing 
0ver  and  upon  the  fowls  while  at 
roost.  Whatever  may  cause  colds, 
this  is  true  that  if  neglected  they  are 
liable  to  terminate  in  rouD  and 
when  a  fowl  has  roup  in  earnest, 
the  chanaces  are  against  the  fowl's 
recovery.  The  proper  time  to 
treat  a  bird  for  roup  is  just  be- 
fore she  has  it  or  in  other  words 
treat  her  on  the  first  appearance  of 
a  cold.  With  proper  care,  roup  need 
ne'ver  enter  a  flock.  Prevention  is 
always  better  than  cure. 

Symptoms  of  Roup-Cold  —These 
are  sneezing,  hoarseness,  wheezy- 
breathing,  eyes  watery  with  a  whit 
ish  foamy  matter,  and  a  discharge 
of  a  watery  nature  from  the  nostrils 
which  sometimes  hangs  in  little  bub- 
bles on  the. beak.  This  is  the  time 
to  begin  the  treatment,  for  the  next 
stage  is  more  serious  and  may  be 
known  by  an  increased  rattling  in 
the  throat,  yellowish  discharge  from 
nostrils  which  has  an  offensive  odor, 
swelling  of  head,  eyes  closed,  ulcer- 
ated throat,  fever,  discoloration  of 
eomb,  when  death  is  pretty  sure  to 
follow. 

Treatment  of  Roup. — Remedies 
are  numerous  though  what  proves 
effective  in  one  ca8«  may  not  in  an- 
other. We  have  invited  some  of  the 
most  experienced  fanciers  in  the 
United  States  to  contribute  their 
practical  remedies  for  this  disease, 
lor  this  edition  of  "Five  Hundred 
Questions  and  Answers"  and  we  pre- 
sent them  in  the  hope  that  some  one 
or  all  may  prove  helpful  to  the  poul- 
trymen  who  may  have  occasion  to 
try  them. 

Roup,  says  Stoddard's  "Poultry 
Diseases."  is  a  disease  of  the  lining 
membrance  of  the  beak,  extending, 


however,  to  the  whole  head  and 
throat,  through  the  tear  duct  to 
the  eye,  and  finally  affecting  the 
whole  constitution.  In  fatal  cases 
death  ensues  on  three  to  eight  days 
after  the  specific  roup  symptoms 
show  themselves,  and  cases  not 
treated  are  generally  fatal  whenever 
the  malady  appears  as  an  epidemic 
in  its  severe  form.  After  death  the 
gall,  bladder  and  liver  are  found  full 
of  pus;  the  flesh  has  a  bad  odor  and 
is  soft,  slimy  and  spongy,  especially 
about  the  lungs.  There  are  many 
other  names  under  which  this  mal- 
ady is  often  described;  swelled  eyes, 
diphtheria,  sore  head,  hoarseness, 
bronchitis,  d,sthma,  snuffles,  can- 
ker, blindness,  influenza,  sore  throat, 
quinsy,  etc.,  but  some  of  these  con- 
ditions may  exist  even  when  roup  is 
not  present.  The  causes  of  roup, 
like  the  causes  of  cholera,  do  not  all 
need  special  enumeration  here. 
Anything  that  lowers  the  tone  of 
the  fowl,  bad  food,  bad  housing, 
lice,  bad  ventilation,  filthy  houses, 
etc.  A  very  prominent  cause,  how- 
ever, is  exposure  to  cold  and  wet. 
So  prominent  is  this,  and  so  marked 
is  the  commencement  of  the  disease 
at  the  beak,  that  it  might  almost  be 
called  malignant  catarrh,  and  it  is 
possibly  nothing  more.  Influenza 
in  the  human  being  sometimes  as- 
sumes a  distinctive  form,  and  fowls 
are  sometimes  destroyed  by  colds 
alone.  Roup,  therefore,  is  most  com- 
mon in  autumn  and  winter  and 
where  fowls  are  exposed  to  wet,  cold 
draughts  and  damp  sunless  quarters. 
The  disease  is  contagious,  from  con- 
tact with  the  discharge,  either  when 
a  diseased  fowl  touches  another 
or  when  a  well  fowl  gets  the  dis- 
charge through  the  drinking  foun- 
tain orotherwise.  It  can  also,  if 
brought  into  contact  with  the  human 
eye,  or  with  a  wound  or  an  abraded 
surface  on  the  hand,  cause  serious  in- 
flammation, so  that  caution  is  need- 
ful in  handling  the  fowl. 

Symptoms: — It  may  come  on  sud- 
denly, or  slowly,  with  previous  signs 


It 


Five  HirifDRBD  Questioits  and  Answers 


of  geaeral  debility,  moping,  etc. 
The  first  signs  are  those  of  catarrh 
or  cold  in  the  head,  dry  cough  and 
dull  wheezing.  Much  fever;  The 
fowls  drink  eagerly.  The  combs  and 
wattles  may  be  pale  or  dark  colored. 
The  cold  grows  worse.  There  is  a 
yellowish  discharge,  thin  and  watery 
at  first,  which  grows  thicker  and 
thicker,  and  fills — in  severe  eases — 
throat,  nostrels  and  eyes,  the  latter 
being  closed  and  swollen  even  to  the 
size  of  a  walnut  and  the  sides  of  the 
face  may  swell  up.  Pustules  form 
all  about  the  head  and  in  the  gullet, 
and  discharge  a  frothy  pus.  The 
crop  is  generally  swollen,  though 
not  always.  The  blinded  fowls  can- 
not see  to  eat  or  drink,  and  this 
hastens  the  fatal  end.  The  discharge 
has  a  bad  odor,  and  this  is  the  one 
most  distinctive  symptom  of  the 
roup.  The  clogging  of  the  nostrils 
also  seriously  impedes  the  breathing. 
In  all  this,  there  does  not  seem  to  be 
any  trace  of  special  poison;  it  is  like 
typhoid  infiuenza.  One  of  the  best 
means  of  detecting  the  approach  of 
roup  is  to  lift  the  wing  of  the  sus- 
pected bird  and  see  if  there  is  not  a 
spot  there  where  the  feathers  are 
smeared  with  a  discharge  from  the 
beak,  which  has  rubbed  off  when 
the  bird  has  put  its  head  under  its 
wing  at  nigrht.  Also  invariably  look 
at  the  nostrils  and  see  if  they  are 
clean  and  free  from  the  slightest 
clogging.  Gro  the  rounds  at  night 
with  a  lantern  and  inspect  your 
birds.  Listen  then  for  rattling  or 
sneezing. 

Treatment: — First  and  foremost, 
put  the  diseased  fowls  by  themselves, 
if  possible,  each  one  separately,  and 
aa  to  cleaning,  etc.,  proceed  exactly 
as  recommended  in  the  treatment  of 
cholera.  Take  all  possible  means  to 
prevent  any  of  the  discharge  com  ng 
in  contact-  with  any  other  fowl, 
which  renders  thorough  purification 
',of  the  drinking  vessels,  etc,  neces- 
sary. Some  preparation  of  car- 
bolic acid  is  good  for  this  purpose. 
Gf^ive  warm,  stimulating  food,  house 
in  a  warm,  dry  place,  with  a  sandy 
bottom.  Various  fjlans  are  followed 
for  the  internal  treatment  of  the  sick 
fowl,  most  of  which  are  often  sue 
cessful.  A  mild  purge  at  the  begin - 
jning,  as  for  instance  a  spoonful  of 
'castor  oil  is  advi.sable.  German 
Roup  Pills  are  highly  recommended. 
In  addition  to  the  above,  some  stim- 
ulants, such  as  mustard  or  pulverized 
finger  in  pills  as  large  as  a  pea, 
given    thrice    daily,     with  cayenne 


pepper  in  the  food  and  water.l  The 
rule  for  pepper  in  the  soft  food  is  to 
season  as  strongly  as  if  for  human 
food ;  in  the  drink,  make  it  as  strong 
as  your  own  "pepper  tea."  Dr.  Ben- 
nett recommends,  thrice  a  day,  a 
pill  of  the  size  of  a  hazelnut  made  of 
equal  parts  of  pulverized  sulphur, 
powdered  charcoal  and  new  yeast. 
To  this  must  be  added  the  mustard^ 
etc.,  stimulants.  Powdered  charcoal 
should  be  added  freely  to  the  soft 
food  always  in  this  disease.  It  puri- 
fies the  digestive  organs  against  the 
foul  matter  in  the  throat  which  the 
patient  is  obliged  to  swallow.  In 
any  plan  of  treatment,  if  the  disease 
runs  several  days  the  purge  should 
be  repeated.  Besides  the  dosing, 
the  eyes,  throat  and  face  must  be 
carefully  attended  to.  Wash  the 
head  thoroughly  with  castile  soap- 
suds, or  better,  with  Labarraque's 
Solution  of  Chlorinated  Soda,  mixed 
with  two  parts  of  water,  several 
times  a  day  if  there  be  much  dis- 
charge. If  the  throat  be  clogged 
with  the  secretion,  clear  out  and  use 
the  cM.  sod.  here  also,  applying  it 
with  a  camel's-hair  brush.  The 
swelling  of  the  eyes  may  generally 
be  reduced  by  a  patient  bathing, 
but  sometimes  an  operation  is  neces- 
sary to  remove  the  deposit.  Nitric 
acid,  applied  with  a  feather  into  the 
nostrils  twice  or  thrice,  is  sometimes 
used,  taking  off  the  old  scab  at  each 
application.  Do  not  be  in  a  hurry 
to  return  the  fowl,  after  recovery, 
to  the  flock. 


TREATMENT  FOR  ROUP,   ETC.,  BY  PRACTI- 
CAL POlLTRYiMEN. 

The  following  treatments  for  the 
diseases  named  are  recommended  by 
leading  fanciers  and  will  be  found 
invaluable.  They  are  written  es- 
pecially forthis  book.  The  authors' 
names  are  prefixed. 

Philander  Williams:— I  use 
camphorated  oil  for  roup  and  it  will 
cure  any  case  if  taken  in  time.  I 
keep  it  in  a  small  can  with  spring 
bottom  and  inject  the  oil  in  the 
fowl's  nostrils.  It  is  also  good  for 
canker.  It  is  well  to  add  5  drops  of 
carbolic  acid  to  each  ounce  of  cam- 
phorated oil. 

F.  B.  ZiMMER: — As  soon  as  I  notice 
the  first  signs  of  a  "cold"  I  give  one 
or  two  doses  of  cod  liver  oil  and  cam 
phor  and  they  "knock  it  crazy."  But 
if  it  is  neglected  for  a  day  or  two, 
(jiLithefa  and  good  care  saves  them. 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


11 


Good  quarters  and  good  care  amount 
to  more  than  a  whole  drug  store  of 
remedies.  Cholera  and  indigestion  I 
prevent  by  proper  care  and  food. 


H.  S.  Babcock: — Under  the  term 
"roup''  is  embraced  a  variety  of  dis- 
■eases  ranging  from  a  common  cold 
to  a  distemper  resulting  in,  to  all  ap- 
pearances, blood  poisoning.  For  a 
<jold  nothing  is  better  than  warm 
quarters,  with  a  few  drops  of  aconite 
in  the  drinking  water,  the  supply 
being  limited  in  quantity  to  insure 
the  taking  of  medicine.  For  the 
more  violent  form  of  roup  I  have 
found  nothing  better  than  the  ex- 
ternal use  of  bromo  chloralum,  dil- 
luted  one-half  in  water,  bathing  the 
affected  parts  and  also  injecting  the 
same  up  the  nostrils.  To  this  treat 
ment  I  add  a  liberal  use  of  sulphur 
in  the  food,  making  the  food  at  the 
same  time  stimulating  in  character. 
Give  fullest  ventilation  and  keep 
quarters  clean,  dry  and  warm  as  pos 
sible  without  fire. 

Canker. — Remove  the  deposits, 
causing  as  little  bleeding  as  possible. 
Touch  the  affected  parts  with  tine 
ture  of  iodine.  Sulphur  is  often  effi- 
cacious in  such  cases,  as  also  is 
borax. 

E.  E.  Edwards:— For  roup  take 
three  parts  of  glycerine,  one  part  of 
turpentine,  mix  the  two  well  to- 
gether, having  half-teaspoonful  of 
both.  Give  part  down  throat  of 
fowl  and  rub  rest  on  nostrils.  I  have 
treated  several  fowls  this  way.  it  ef- 
fecting a  cure.  I  treat  the  fowl  when 
first  symptoms  appear. 


Jones  Wilcox:— A  valuable  rem- 
edy for  all  throat  and  head  troubles 
(roup  in  all  its  forms)  is  to  confine 
the  fowls  in  hen  house  and  fumigate 
with  pine  tar  and  spirits  turpentine 
in  equal  parts  Put  these  in  an  iron 
vessel  and  ignite  with  a  coal  of  fire 
or  match. 


Among  other  remedies  given  by 
writers  on  the  subject  in  various 
books  and  periodicals  are  the  follow- 
ing:    . 

Anoint  the  fowl's  head  and  neck 
twice  a  day  for  two  or  three  days 
with  strong  vinegar.  Put  logwood 
in  drinking  vessels  on  which  pour 
lukewarm  water.  Give  no  other 
drink.    Do  not  confine  too  closely. 

Stephen  Beal  in  his  "Profitable 
Poultry    Keeping"  remarks  that  a 


cold  never  becomes  roup  unless  th« 
blood  is  in  a  scrofulous  condition. 
Sulphur  or  charcoal  are  best  to  cor 
rect  the  scrofula  and  copaiba  cap- 
sules should  be  used  for  the  cold. 
Wash  head  with  chlorinated  soda. 
Purify  all  drinking  vessels,  etc.,  with 
a  wash  of  dilute  carbolic  ar-id. 

A  writer  in  the  "Southern  Fan- 
cier" says:  "If  roup  is  let  run  until 
the  ease  is  well  developed,  take  alum 
water  as  strong  as  it  can  well  be 
made,  and  mix  with  one  third  its 
quantity  strong  vinegar  and  wash 
tbe  head  well  and  see  that  the  nos- 
trils are  clear,  so  the  solution  can  be 
forced  through.  This  remedy  ap- 
plied once  or  twice  a  day  will  cure 
ninety-nine  out  of  a  hundred  cases. 
Separate  all  diseased  fowls  and  keep 
them  in  a  warm  place.  Burnt  alum 
applied  to  the  sores  after  scabs  are 
removed  will  care  canker  every  fime_, 
but  must  be  frequently  repeated  and 
well  dusted  in." 

London  "Poultry"  gives  this: 
Three  drops  of  spirits  of  camphor 
put  on  a  piece  of  bread  and  fed  to 
roupy  fowls  produced  a  cure.  An- 
other recipe  is  a  teaspoonful  of  crude 
carbolic  acid  in  a  pint  of  water,  as  a" 
wash.  Rub  glycerine  around  eyes. 
Inject  carbolic  acid  and  water  with 
a  small  syringe. 

Mr.  C.  *E.  Watson  in  "New  Eng- 
land Fancier"  says:  A  quick  and 
sure  cure  for  roup  is  as  follows: 
Take  a  small  glass  syringe,  fiiJl  once 
with  clear  whiskey  and  inject  in 
pa,ssage  from  roof  of  mouth  outward 
through  the  nostrils.  This  remedy 
applied  two  nights  in  succession  has 
never  failed  with  me.  I  used  it 
twice  on  my  best  Langshan  pullet 
when  she  was  so  far  gone  she  could 
breathe  merely  by  gasping,  and  was 
too  weak  to  stand.  I  was  advised 
to  wring  her  neck,  but  in  48  hours 
she  was  back  in  the  coop  as  bright 
and  chipper  as  ever. 

Mr.  W.  McNeil  in  "Canadian  Poul- 
try Review,"  say&:  The  best  cure  I 
ever  found  for  roup  is  to  take  two 
ounces  of  the  best  vinegar,  one  table- 
spoonful  of  pulverized  alum,  one 
tablespoonful  of  sugar  of  lead ;  put 
all  into  one  bottle.  Bathe  birds' 
head  and  nostrils  well,  night  and 
morning.  This  will  cure  the  worst 
case  of  roup. 

The  "Poultry  Keeper"  is  a  strong 
advocate  of  spongia.  This  is  a 
homeopathic  remedy,  and  com«* 
either  as  pellets  or  as  the  mother 
tincture.  To  prevent  roup,  put  fir* 
drops  of  tincture,  or  fifteen  pelletsj 


13 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


in  a  quart  of  the  drinking  water  and 
g^ve  no  other  water  to  drink.  For 
sick  birds  double  the  quantity  of 
spongia  to  the  water.  There  is  no 
handling  of  the  birds.  The  drink- 
ing vessels  should  be  clean. 

Another  good  roup  cure  is  bromo- 
chloralum,  mixed  with  equal  quan- 
tity of  water.  Ten  cents  worth  is 
enough  to  get  at  one  time.  With  a 
sewing  machine  oil  can  inject  two  or 
three  drops  in  each  nostril,  twice  a 
day,  and  two  or  three  drops  down 
the  throat.  Every  night  giVe  the 
bird  a  pill  of  assafoetida,  the  size  of 
a  grain  of  corn,  and  sift  a  little  red 
pepper  on  their  soft  food  till  birds 
get  better.  A  similar  treatment  is 
to  inject  into  the  nostrils  five  drops 
of  a  mixture  of  bromo-chloralum  and 
water,  equal  parts,  and  then  pour 
down  the  throat  a  mixture  of  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  warm  lard  and  two  drops 
carbolic  acid. 

Roup  and  cholera  are  often  con- 
founded by  the  inexperienced.  Roup 
may  linger  for  months,  cholera  "kills 
or  cures"  inside  of  36  hours.  The 
difficulty  in  treating  roup  is  the 
handling  of  the  birds.  The  bromo- 
chloralum  remedy  is  among  the  best. 
Add,  also,  40  grains  of  permangenate 
of  potash  to  each  gallon  of  the  drink- 
ing water. 

CANKER. 

Canker  shows  itself  upon  the  cor- 
ners of  the  mouth  usually,  at  first, 
and  is  really  one  form  of  roup. 
Then  the  yellowish  white  spots  ap- 
pear upon  the  face  and  wattles.  It 
spreads  rapidly,  however,  and  we 
know  cases  where  in  thirty-six 
hours  from  its  first  showing  the  roof 
of  the  upper  mandible,  the  tongue 
and  the  nostrils  were  completely 
covered  with  this  offensive  and 
troublesome  sore.  It  should  be 
taken  in  hand  promptly,  when  first 
discovered.  The  bird  affected  with 
canker  ought  not  to  be  permitted  to 
remain  an  hour  in  the  same  pen  or 
run  with  wpU  fowls  It  will  go 
from  one  bird  to  another  with  won- 
derful celerity,  and  the  fancier  who 
finds  it  fairly  started  in  his  flock 
should  immediately  remove  the  sick 
fowl  to  a  place  by  itself.  Upon  old 
hens  or  upon  game  cocks  after  they 
have  been  fought  or  "exercised,"  if 
it  breaks  out,  it  is  very  hard  to  cure. 
Unless  the  fowl  be  a  really  valuable 
one,  the  i)roces8  is  so  slow  in  removing 
it  that  it  hardly  pays  for  the  trouble 
it  causes.     Upon  games  old  cockers 


use  saline  washes  and  alum  water, 
frequently  bathing  and  cleansing 
the  disordered  parts,  ofttimes  with 
success  at  last.  An  alternate  wash- 
ing of  burnt  alum  dissolved  in  new 
rum  and  chlorate  of  potash  in  a  rum 
solution  is  excellent.  The  sor« 
places  should  be  cleansed  thorough- 
ly every  morning  and  evening,  and 
the  canker  removed  daily.  If  taken 
in  its  very  earliest  stages,  the  canker 
spots  may  be  advantageously 
touched  with  a  weak  solution  of 
nitrate  of  silver.  This  will  burn  off 
the  sores  if  followed  up  before  they 
get  too  soft  and  pulpy. 

Another  remedy  is  to  first  remove 
all  cankerous  matter  possible.  Wash 
out  the  mouth  and  throat  with 
water,  then  apply  with  a  soft  brush 
equal  parts  tincture  of  myrrh,  borax 
and  chlorate  of  potash  till  the  sor* 
looks  clean,  then  dust  with  pow- 
dered borax  till  healed.  In  som* 
cases  ordinary  Dalmatian  insect 
powder,  when  slightly  sprinkled  on 
the  roof  of  the  mouths, (only  a  pinch 
being  used)  has  proved  beneficial. 


THE  GAPES. 

Gapes  are  caused  by  a  coUectioa 
of  small  thread-like  worms  in  th« 
the  wind  pipe  of  the  chicken.  To 
kill  these  worms  and  not  hurt  th« 
chicken  is  the  requirement.  Coal 
oil  of  the  cheaper  grades  is  a  mora 
effectual  insecticide  than  the  refined. 
Dr.  Elzey's  method  is  to  take  a  small 
glass  tube  with  a  small  rubber  bulk, 
which  apothecaries  sell  for  a  "medi- 
cine dropper,"  half  fill  it  with  coal 
oil,  and  inserting  the  tip  into  th» 
windpipe,  discharge  the  oil.  The 
gapes  are  cured.  A  small  oil  can 
used  for  sewing  machines  will  do  in 
place  of  the  medicine  dropper. 
Operate  as  follows:  Place  the 
chicken  back  down,  between  your 
knees,  and  hold  him  gently;  open 
his  bill  and  draw  the  tongue  out. 
Seize  the  lower  mandible  and  tongue 
thus  drawn  out  between  the  fore- 
finger and  thumb  nail  of  the  left 
hand.  This  will  bring  into  view  the 
opening  of  the  windpipe  at  the  base 
of  the  tongue,  into  which  gently  in- 
sert the  tube  and  discharge  the  oil. 
Close  the  bill,  and  hold  the  head 
still  for  a  few  seconds.  Then  let  the 
chicken  go  and  he  will  cough,  spat- 
tering some  of  the  oil  out,  but 
enough  remains  to  destroy  the 
worms  and  they  will  be  coughed  up 
and  swallowed.  The  gapes  continue 
for  a  time  after  the  treatment,  but 
the  remedy  will  be  effectual  in  every 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


18 


ease  if  properly  applied,  and  it  may 
readily  be  repeated,  if  thought  worth 
while,  as  often  as  necessary.  After 
a  little  practice  it  is  easily  applied 
and  always  succeeds. 

The  easiest  treatment,  according 
to  "Poultry  Diseases,''  is  to  put 
some  carbolic  acid  of  the  clear,  trans- 
parent quality  into  a  spoon  or  metal 
saucer  and  hold  it  over  a  lamp. 
Dense,  white  fumes  will  arise.  Hold 
the  chicken's  head  in  these  until  it 
is  nearly  suffocated.  Or,  shut  all  the 
affected  chickens  into  a  box  and 
fumigate  them  together,  but  watch 
then  closely  lest  they  be  killed. 
Burned  sulphur  fumes  will  also  do 
very  well  for  this  purpose.  The 
vapor  of  spirits  of  turpentine  and  of 
creosote  are  also  recommended. 
Another  method  is  to  take  a  feather, 
which  has  been  stripped  of  all  the 
webbed  portion  save  its  tip,  and  dip 
it  into  spirits  of  turpentine  or  kero- 
sene and  thrust  it  into  the  windpipe 
and  turn  it  around  several  times. 
Some  of  the  worms  will  be  killed, 
some  will  come  out  with  the  feather, 
some  will  be  coughed  out  at  once ; 
catch  on  a  sheet  of  paper  and  burn 
them  all.  The  opening  of  the  wind 
pipe  is  easily  found  at  the  base  of 
the  tongue. 

As  the  subject  is  very  important, 
we  add  still  other  methods  of  treat- 
ment recommended.  Camphor  has 
been  given  in  pills  the  size  of  a  pea, 
with  success.  Alum  and  sulphur  in 
the  form  of  fine  powder,  blown 
down  the  throat,  will  destroy  the 
worms.  Lime  in  the  air  will  also 
effect  the  purpose,  and  may  be  ap- 
plied by  putting  the  chickens  into  a 
box  covered  with  fine  muslin  and 
sifting  fine  lime  through  this,  but 
not  so  fast  as  to  smother  the  chicken. 
Another  method,  by  some  deemed 
doubtful  and  dangerous,  is  to  pinch 
the  chickens  throat ;  this  will  crush 
the  worms  and  cause  them  to  loosen 
their  hold,  when  they  will  be 
coughed  up. 

It  has  been  discovered  that  fresh 
insect  powder,  blown  into  the 
mouth  or  windpipe,  is  excellent. 
Keep  the  chicks  on  new  and  clean 
ground,  or  on  boards,  and  dust  air- 
slaked  lime  freely  over  their  runs. 


CHOLERA. 

This  name  is  given  to  a  disorder  of 
obscure  origin  and  character,  which 
has  proved  itself  to  be  one  of  the 
most  rapidly  destructive  known  to 
poultry    keepers.      Anything    that 


tends  to  lower  the  constitutional 
vigor  of  the  fowl  will  render  it  liable 
to  an  excess  of  this  disease.  Un- 
wholesome food,  given  at  irregular 
periods,  impure  and  stagnant  water 
as  a  drink,  exposure  to  the  weather 
or  to  the  depressing  heat  of  the  sun 
without  shade,  all  of  these  causes, 
so  readily  enumerated,  increase  the 
liability  of  the  fowl  to  this  disorder, 
as  well  as  to  many  others.  Among 
the  causes  most  prominent  in  foster- 
ing the  disease  is,  it  is  agreed  on  all 
hands,  an  over-crowded  condition  of 
the  coops.  In  the  first  place  such  a 
condition  of  things  is  directly  de- 
pressing to  the  fowls ;  in  the  second 
place  the  bad  air  makes  good  soil  for 
the  development  of  poisonous 
"germs,"  if  any  such  there  be. 
Cholera  has  been  known,  however, 
to  attack  flocks  that  are  not  kept 
in  houses  at  all.  Such  cases  can  b« 
explained  by  the  fact  that  fowls 
thus  kept  are  generally  badly  pro- 
tected from  the  weather,  and  beside 
this,  they  really  crowd  together  at 
their  roosting  places,  which  are  sura 
to  be  tainted  by  an  accumulation  of 
droppings.  Cholera  seems  also  to  be 
more  prevalent  in  very  hot  and  in 
very  dry  seasons. 

It  is  thought  to  be  infectious,  but 
the  infection  does  not  seem  to  travel 
very  far.  Fowls  roosting  near  fowls 
sick  with  cholera  will  catch  it,  but 
whether  from  them  or  from  their 
droppings  does  not  appear.  This  is 
the  gist  of  the  grounds  of  the  state- 
ment that  the  specific  poison  which 
produces  cholera  is  generated  locally 
on  premises  where  the  disease  exists, 
though  it  may  be  carried  by  pigeons, 
or  birds  from  other  yards. 

Lesions. — The  organ  most  changed 
is  the  liver.  This  is  found  enlarged, 
dark  green,  full  of  dark  blood,  con- 
gested and  usually  tender;  it  can 
easily  be  crushed  in  the  hand.  The 
gizzard  is  softer  and  sometimes 
much  smaller  than  natural,  and  con- 
tains half  digested  food.  The  crop 
and  intestines  are  often  full  of  sour, 
fermenting  food,  and  ulcerated,  and 
the  intestines  are  much  inflamed 
and  "sore,"  that  is,  excoriated.  The 
testicles  have  been  found  much 
altered.  The  condition  of  the  liver 
now  is  the  main  thing  to  be  noted. 
Of  course,  you  will  find  the  brain, 
nerves  and  lungs  more  or  less  con- 
gested, full  of  darker  blood  than 
usual,  and  the  heart  perhaps  en- 
larged. The  blood  is  darker  and 
thicker  than  usual,  and  this  condi- 
tion, together  with  that  of  the  liver, 


14 


Five  Hundred  Questiois^s  and  Answers 


ate  thought  by  Dr.  Dickie  to  exist 
io  no  other  disease.  The  liver  is  not 
oiily  the  organ  most  altered,  but 
apparently  it  is  the  one  attacked 
first. 

Symptoms  and  Diagnosis. — The 
disease  must  be  made  out  before 
death,  rather  from  its  sudden  epi 
demie  character  than  anything  else. 
It  comes  suddenly  in  some  cases;  a 
fowl  well  to-day  may  be  dead  to- 
mo'Tow,  and  a  whole  flock  may  be 
thus  rapidly  carried  off.  In  fact,  it 
kills  within  36  hours.  The  dis 
charges  are  thought  by  some  authori- 
ties to  be  decisive.  These  are  mild 
at  first,  are  yellowish  green,  or  like 
sulphur  and  water,  becoming  thin- 
ner,  greener,  and  more  frothy  as  the 
disease  goes  on,  and  never  stopping 
until  the  fowl  is  dead.  The  breath- 
ing becomes  heavy  and  fast,  the 
crop  fills,  with  mucous  and  wind;  at 
last  the  food  is  not  digested,  the 
eyes  close,  and  in  a  few  hours  the 
fowl  dies."  There  is  weakness,  some- 
times extreme,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  disease;  the  fowl  may 
even  be  unable  to  stand  well.  It 
does  not  plume  itself,  and  has  a 
general  sleepy,  moping  appearance. 
At  the  later  period,  the  dark,  thick- 
ened blood  may  turn  the  comb  and 
wattles  dark,  or  may  readily  flow 
through  them,  so  they  become  pale. 
There  is  much  fever,  great  thirst, 
and  a  rapid,  weak  pulse.  Cramps 
may  occur  The  fowl  may  die  from 
the  digestive  disturbances,  or  ap- 
parently from  paralysis  of  the  heart 
or  lungs,  caused  by  the  poisoned 
blood.  Intense  thirst  is  a  symptom 
which  is  a  sure  indication. 

Treatment. — You  cannot  save  the 
lives  of  all  of  those  attacked,  neither 
will  the  same  treatment  that  is  good 
in  the  North  succeed  in  the  South. 
Remove  your  vihole  flock  at  once  to 
clean  quarters,  if  possible  to  some 
gravelly  site  that  has  never  been 
used  before  for  stock,  and  see  that 
they  are  healthily  housed  there,  and 
in  all  regards  in  a  healthful  condi 
tion.  Heparatf  the  sick  from  the 
well,  and  if  it  were  possible  it  would 
be  well  to  to  have  every  hen,  espec 
i(Zlly  every  s'ck  hen,  have  a  i^lace 
apart.  This  is  practicable  enough 
with  some  valuable  pets. 

The  following  is  a  treatment  of 
th9  disease:  As  the  birds  will  not 
eal  add  a  teaspoonful  of  liquid  car 
bQlic  acid  to  each  galjlpp  of  the 
drinking  water.  The  remedy  is 
heroic,  but  there  is  no  sure  cure.  Do 
not  mistake  cholera  for   indigestion. 


Remember  that  cholera  kills  quieh- 
ly,  and  the  birds  always  have  intenw 
thirst. 


Diarrhcea. — How  should  fowls  affe«t«il 
with  diarrhoea  be  treated  ? 

Too  much  feed  may  cause  it,  and 
it  is  often  mistaken  for  cholera. 
When  birds  are  very  fat,  fed  oa 
grain  exclusively,  do  not  have  a  va- 
riety, or  lack  grit,  the  result  will  be 
diarrhoea.  The  remedy  is  to  with- 
hold all  feed  for  48  hours,  and  then 
allow,  for  a  few  days,  a  pound  of 
lean  meat,  co'^ked,  to  20  birds,  one© 
a  day.  Add  20  drops  tincture  of  nux 
vomica  to  each  quart  of  drinking 
water,  which  avoids  handling.  A 
gill  of  linseed-meal,  it),  soft  feed  for 
six  hens,  may  be  given  once  a  day, 
for  two  or  three  days,  after  they  im- 
prove. DiarrhcBa  in  chicks  occurs 
mostly  from  lack  of  warmth,  hence 
plenty  of  warmth  is  essential.  Grive 
cooked  feed,  and  add  ten  drops  tine- 
ture  nux  vomica  to  each  quart  of 
their  drinking  water.  Roup  always 
attackschicks  in  the  bowels,henee  if 
they  die  off,  as  if  by  a  contagious 
diarrhoea,  there  is  no  remedy,  though 
warmth  may  saye  some. 


DifcJiarge  at  Nostrils. — Is  a  discharge  at 
the  nostrils  a  sure  indication  of  roup  7 

It  indicates  a  cold,  usually  from  a 
top  draught  of  air  from  some  source, 
and  may  lead  to  roup. 


Indigestion.— Gi'^Q  remedies  for  indiges- 
tion in  fowls. 

Indigestion  may  produce  either 
constipation,  by  causing  inflamma- 
tion, or  diarrhoea  or  dysentery.  It 
may  be  accompanied  by  a  fever  or 
loss  of  appetite,  and  apparently  pain 
in  the  stomach.  The  crop  is  some- 
times swollen,  and  the  liver  may  be- 
come seriously  affected.  It  is  some- 
times due  to  cold  but  is  generally 
due  to  too  much  or  too  stimulating 
diet.  Cut  down  the  diet  to  a  little 
meat  and  bone,  and  give  grass  or 
green  food.     (See  Diarrhoea.) 

XcfiT  Weahness.—  My  hens  seem  unable  t« 
move  about  on  their  legs.     What  ails  theia  T 

It  is  usually  the  results  of  a  fat 
condition  of  the  hens  and  the  heavy 
weight  of  the  male,  his  attentions 
causing  injury  to  the  spine.  The 
remedy  is  to  remove  the  male. 
Fowls,  especially  cockerels  that  grow 
too  fast,  squat  down  on  the  ground. 


Five  Hundred  QiTBSTioirs  and  Answers 


15 


Sometimes  there  is  also  a  deficiency 
of  earthy  matter  in  the  bones.  Bone 
dust  may  be  freely  used.  Feed  with 
aubstances  which  do  not  tend  to  fat ; 
wheat  barley,  meat.  Internally  may 
be  given  iron,  three  to  eight  grains 
of  the  citrate  daily,  or  some  form  of 
iron  and  quinine.  Hinton's  recipe 
is  sulphate  of  iron  one  grain  a  day; 
strychnine  one  sixteenth  of  a  grain, 
phosphate  of  lime  five  grains,  sul- 
phate of  quinine  half  a  grain ;  thrice 
daily. 


Mheumatistn. — What  is  the  cause  of  and 
oare  for  rheumatism  ? 

Rheumatism  generally  comes  from 
exposure  to  cold  and  wet,  as  by  run- 
ning in  the  wet  grass  in  the  morning, 
wet  roosting  places,  etc.,  though 
most  frequently  from  feeding  sul- 
phur in  the  feed,  especially  during 
damp  weather.  The  malady  is  also 
hereditary.  The  symptoms  are  leg 
weakness,  stiff  joints,  or  contraction 
of  the  toes.  The  treatment  consists 
mainly  in  warm,  dry  quarters  and 
good  stimulating  feed ;  a  little  cooked 
meat  every  day.  Rub  the  legs  well 
with  hot  mustard  water,  afterwards 
wiping  quite  dry.  Half  a  grain  of 
opium  (a  quarter  of  a  grain  for  a 
chicken  of  three  months),  night  and 
Kiorning  soothes  the  pain. 


Cholera  Symptofns. — What  are  the  symp- 
toms of  chicken  caolera,  with  cure  ? 

Symptoms  are  intense  thirst,  de- 
bility, followed  by  prostration,  with 
greenish  droppings.  Give  a  tea- 
•poonful  of  carbolic  acid  in  a  gallon 
of  water — no  other  drink. 


Constipation.— 1  have  had  several  cases  of 
tke  hindquarters  in  chickens,  both  young 
and  old  protruding  fully  an  inch.  Will 
you  please  tell  me  the  cause  and  give  me  the 
remedy  ? 

Probably  due  to  constipation. 
Grive  a  tablespoonful  of  linseed  oil 
meal  once  a  day,  in  the  feed,  for  six 
hens,  and-feed  plenty  of  grass. 


Skin  Disease. — What  is  the  matter  with 
aiy  chicks  ?  The  down  comes  off  and  leaves 
a  scale  on  their  heads.    Have  looked  for  lice. 

It  may  be  due  to  some  cutaneous 
disease.       Try    anointing   the  head 
once  a  day  with  a  mixture  composed  j 
of  ten  drops  of  carbolic  acid,   one  i 
teaspoonf  ul  cedar  oil  and  a  teaspoon-  j 
ful  sweet  oil.  ! 


Vampnesa.—!  have  out  of  Beyenty-fivc 
chickens  six  or  eight  roosters—no  pullets — 
with  the  extended  crops,  and  they  draw 
their  heads  down  to  their  shoulders  and  act 
as  though  they  were  stiff.  Their  legs  seem 
weak.and  with  dilBculty  they  can  get  on  low 
roosts. 

It  may  be  due  to  the  large  lice  on 
the  heads,  or  from  dampness,  bat 
most  probably  the  former.  Anoint 
heads  with  a  few  drops  of  sweet  oil. 


Treatment  for  Xice.— How  can  I  get  rid 

of  lice  on  my  fowls  ? 

First  clean  up  the  premises.  Satu- 
rate kerosene  oil  over  every  part,  es- 
pecially on  the  under  side  of  roosts. 
Dust  fowls  well  with  insect  powder. 
Provide  them  a  dust  bath.  Grease 
their  heads  and  necks  with  warm 
lard.  Repeat  this  twice  or  three 
times  a  week.     It  means  hard  work. 


Moup  or  Indigestion. — I  hate  a  lot  ol 
chickens  as  large  as  quails.  They  act  as 
though  they  were  choked,  epen  their 
mouths  to  breathe,  make  a  noise  like  sneer- 
ing. Some  have  died.  They  eat  well,  ha'ye  a 
free  run,  are  fed  corn  meal  wet  with  warm 
water  and  sour  milk,  and  were  growing 
nicely  until  taken  with  this  trouble. 

It  may  be  due  to  exposure,  es- 
pecially during  damp  weather,  fol- 
lowed by  indigestion.  Warm  qxx&t- 
ters  and  anointing  their  heads  with 
a  few  drops  of  sweet  oil,  will  answer. 


Scabby  Legs. — Please  give  a  remedy  lor 
scabby  legs  ! 

Mix  a  teaspoonful  of  kerosene  and 
a  gill  of  lard  and  a  little  sulph^ij,-. 
Apply  on  the  legs  once  a  week,  tlfre 
mixture  to  be  warm.  Wash  occa- 
sionally with  soap. 

Stvollen  Crop.— What  is  the  cause  and 
cure  of  swollen  crop  ? 

If  the  crop  is  soft  and  puffy  it  is 
known  ^s  "sour  crop"  and  if  swollen 
and  feverish  is  difficult  to  cure;  if 
hard  the  passage  to  the  gizzard,  is 
probably  obstructed.  Taken  in 
time,  either  case  is  easily  remedied, 
but  at  tirues  it  may  be  a  case  requir- 
ing an  incision  to  remove  the  con- 
tents. It  is  usually  caused  by  sqljie 
substance  obstructing  the  outlet 
from  thes.crop  to.the  gizzard. 


Colds. — Please  state  what  is  the  matter 
with  cockerels  or  chickens  when  they  inake 
a  noise  at  night  while  on  their  roost   wlien 


16 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


drawing  breath  lite  a  person  does  when  he 
Is  gargling  his  throat. 

It  is  due  to  a  heavy  cold,  probably 
caused  by  a  top  draught  in  poultry 
house.  Sprinkle  a  pinch  of  chlorate 
of  potash  down  the  throat  once  a 
day.  Add  a  teaspoonf ul  of  perman- 
genate  of  potash  to  each  gallon  of 
the  drinking  water.  Keep  them 
warm  and  free  from  draughts. 


Trotible tvitJi  Oviduct. — What  treatment 
should  be  given  for  inflammation  of  the  ovi- 
duct ?    What  causes  it  ? 

It  results  from  taking  cold  or  un- 
wholesome feed  or  feed  that  is  over 
stimulating.  The  symptoms  are 
general  feverishness,  feathers  puffed 
out,  continual  straining  on  the  part 
of  the  hen,  imperfect  eggs,  etc.  Re- 
move hen  from  the  cock  and  keep 
her  on  straw.  Give  no  feed  except 
a  teaspoonful  of  linseed  meal,  daily, 
for  a  week. 


Apoplexy. — I  have  lost  some  chickens  that 
acted  as  though  they  had  a  spasm.  On  ex- 
amining them  found  the  skin  had  turned  a 
dark  red.  They  were  taken  suddenly,  and 
tried  to  stand  on  their  heads.  I  feed  a  warm 
feed  in  the  morning,  oats  at  noon,  corn  at 
night.    What  is  it  ? 

This  was  probably  apoplexy — a 
sudden  rush  of  blood  to  the  head, 
aud  a  rupture  of  a  blood  vessel  there. 
The  remedy  is  prevention.  You 
have  probably  been  overfeeding,  and 
should  give  only  two  meals  per  day. 
Reduce  the  grain  feed  and  give 
steamed  clover  or  some  such  bulky 
feed  instead.  Above  all  make  them 
work  for  their  food  by  obliging 
them  to  scratch  it  up.  Exercise  is 
one  of  the  best  preventives  of  dis- 
ease. 


Worms, 

■wrorms  ? 


-What  shall  I  give  for  internal 


Give  a  half  teaspoonful  of  sulphur 
in  food.  Worm  seed,  a  tablespoon- 
ful  to  six  hens  three  times  a  week, 
may  be  also  given. 


Pip.— Please  tell  me  the  easiest  and  best 
way  to  take  "pip"  off  hens'  tongues.  Is  the 
"pip"  injurious  to  the  hens  ? 

"Pip"  is  simply  a  dryness  of  the 
tongue,  caused  by  the  bird  breath- 
ing through  the  open  mouth.  It  is 
mot  a  disease  nor  is  it  dangerous. 


Sulphur.— Vfould  it  be  good  policy  to  mix 
powdered  sulphur  with  the  food  for  fowls? 

There  is  sulphur  in  the  eggs,  so  it 
is  safe  to  presume  that  sulphur  in 
their  feed  would  not  be  advantage- 
ous. 


Symptoms  of  Itheumatistn. — I  am  puzzled 
to  know  what  is  the  matter  of  chickens  that 
lose  all  strength  in  their  feet  and  legs  ;  the 
toes  seem  to  cramp  up,  and  they  are  unable 
to  stand. 

This  is  probably  rheumatism, 
which  affects  chicks  and  fowls  j  ust  as 
it  does  human  beings,  and  is  due  to 
acid  in  the  blood,  or  is  an  aciduous 
condition  of  the  blood.  Rub  the 
feet  and  legs  with  a  good  strong 
liniment,  and  feed  warming,  stimu- 
lating feed ;  give  them  milk  to  drink. 


Red  Mites. — How  shall  I  proceed  to  get 
the  hen  house  free  of  red  mites  ? 

The  red  vermin  is  the  red  spider, 
louse  or  red  mite.  Kerosene  kills 
them  at  once,  and  as  their  haunts 
are  the  cracks  and  crevices  of  the 
roosting  poles,  and  the  sides  of  the 
buildings,  nest  boxes,  etc.,  they  are 
easy  to  destroy.  If  they  are  numer- 
ous go  over  the  whole  inside  of  the 
building  with  hot  whitewash,  sop- 
ping it  on  freely,  so  every  crack  and 
crevice  is  filled.  Clean  out  and 
whitewash  nest  boxes,  clean  up  the 
floor  and  put  in  fresh  sand,  and  start 
all  fresh  and  clean. 


White  Comb. — What  makes  ^he  combs  of 
some  of  my  fowls  turn  white,  and  what  is  the 
treatment  ? 

A  pale  light  comb  indicates  that 
the  bird  is  not  well.  A  healthy  bird 
has  a  red  comb.  When  the  bird  is 
sick  the  pale  comb  appears,  and 
changes  to  black  when  the  bird  is 
extremely  ill. 


Catarrh  and  Bronchitis. — Please  describe 
catarrh  and  bronchitis. 

The  general  symptoms  of  catarrh 
are  a  watery  discharge  from  the  eyes 
and  nostrils.  Catarrh  is  identical  in 
appearance  with  the  first  stages  of 
the  roup.  If  it  extends  to  the  air 
tubes,  then  it  is  called  bronchitis, 
and  one  of  the  symptoms  is  the 
symptoms  is  the  coughing  of  the 
fowl.  As  soon  as  the  watery  dis- 
charge at  the  nostrils  is  discovered, 
the  fowl  should  be  taken  to  a  dry, 
warm  room  and  fed  sparingly  on 
soft  feed  either  warm  or  lukewarm. 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


17 


and  aconite  should  be  mixed  with 
the  drinking  water  in  the  propor- 
tion of  eight  drops  of  the  tincture  to 
a  pint  of  water.  If  the  discharge  at 
the  beak  becomes  of  a  putrid  and 
offensive  character,  you  may  con- 
sider that  the  fowl  has  the  roup.  In 
all  cases  of  catarrh  look  out  for  the 
roup. 

A.  Tall  Tonic— WiU  you  name  a  good  tonic 
lor  moulting  hens  ? 

The  moulting  hens  will  be  greatly 
relieved  and  assisted  in  feathering  if 
given  some  kind  of  tonic,  and  one  of 
the  best  is  to  mix  together  20  grains 
of  quinine,  20  grains  of  chloride  of 
iron,  40  grains  of  red  pepper,  one 
pound  of  boneset,  one  ounce  of  sul- 
phur, and  half  a  pound  of  salt.  Put 
a  teaspoonf  ul  of  the  mixture  in  some 
kind  of  soft  food,  for  every  six  hens, 
three  times  a  week.  Give  meat 
occasionally,  and  feed  mixed  grains. 
Moulting  fowls  take  cold  very  easily 
should  the  weather  change  suddenly, 
and  care  must  be  taken  to  keep  them 
warm  and  dry. 

Another  good  tonic  is  tincture  of 
perchloride  of  iron,  2  drachms;  com- 
pound tincture  of  gentian,  2 
drachms ;  lime  water,  2  ounces ;  eggs 
beaten,  2  ounces;  cod  liver  oil,  4 
ounces.  Shake  thoroughly  up  into 
an  emulsion,  and  give  two  table- 
spoonfuls  three  times  a  day.  In 
scrofulous  tendency  or  hereditary 
weakness  the  above  is  an  excellent 
stock  medicine,  and  may  be  given  to 
young  chicks  in  ten-drop  doses  mixed 
with  the  feed.  It  is  often  valuable 
in  diarrhoea,  and  also  during  molt. 

Frosted  Cemb.—ls  there  a  cure  for  frosted 
combs  ? 

A  cure  for  frosted  or  frozen  combs 
and  wattles  is  equal  parts  of  turpen- 
tine and  sweet  oil  applied  twice  daily 
as  soon  as  discovered.  Glycerine  is 
also  good.  Protect  the  bird  from 
cold  draughts  or  winds. 


Insects  in  Brooder.— May  I  askjyou  how 
to  remove  the  insects  from  my  chicks,  three 
days  old,  now  in  a  brooder,  hatched  by 
hens? 

Dust  them  with  fresh  insect  pow- 
der every  day,  and  rub  the  brooder 
with  kerosene  oil.  Smear  a  few 
drops  of  warm  lard  on  the  heads  and 
necks  of  the  chicks  twice  a  week. 


A  reply  to  the  above  is  that  there 
is  a  probability  that  your  fowls  have 
the  large  lice  on  the  skin  of  the  head 
and  necks.  Anoint  with  a  few  drops 
of  sweet  oil  on  heads,  necks  and 
vents. 


Xiarge  Ziice. — What  is  wrong  with  fowls 
■when  they  stand  with  heads  thrown  back 
•a  shoulders,  and  legs  weak  ? 


Warts,— C&n  you  tell  me  what  will  cure 
warts  on  chickens  ?  We  have  a  pullet  that 
has  eight  on  her  face,  two  of  which  are  on 
her  eye.  They  are  growing  rapidly  and  we 
fear  will  close  the  eye  entirely.  What  causes 
it? 

It  may  be  the  effects  of  chicken 
pox,  or  the  work  of  minute  parasite. 
Such  cases  happen  as  the  after  re- 
sults of  roup,  sometimes.  Try  an 
ointment,  apply  daily  for  a  week,  of 
ten  parts  sweet  oil,  one  part  spirits 
turpentine,  one  of  cedar  oil,  and  half 
part  carbolic  acid. 

iSore  ffeetd.— What  is  a  good  remedy  for 
sore  heads  in  fowls  ? 

Epsom  salts  is  the  best  remedy  for 
sore  head.  Salts  will  cure  all  ordi- 
nary cases,  and  will  certainly  prevent 
this  disagreeable  disease  spreading 
in  flock.  Put  it  in  soft  feed  or  put 
in  drinking  water.  A  tablespoonf  ul 
to  a  gallon  of  dough  or  a  gallon  of 
drinking  water  is  the  proportion. 
Continue  its  use  every  other  day  un- 
til disease  is  eradicated  from  the 
flock.  In  addition  to  salts  in  the 
water,  take  equal  parts  pulverized 
table  salt,  bluestone  and  lard,  or 
axle  grease,  adding  a  teaspoonful  of 
carbolic  acid  to  each  half  pint,  well 
mixed,  and  grease  the  head  and  face 
of  the  fowls  or  chicks  that  are  af- 
fected. 


Diainfectant.-Giye  a  recipe  for  a  cheap 
but  effective  disinfectant. 

A  cheap  and  good  disinfectant  to 
use  about  poultry  houses  and  yards 
when  contagious  fowl  diseases  are 
present  or  feared,  is  made  by  dis- 
solving three  pounds  of  copperas  in 
five  gallons  of  water,  and  adding  one 
pint  of  crude  carbolic  acid.  Sprinkle 
about  the  house  and  yard  with  a 
common  watering  pot. 

Bromide  of  Potash.— Ro^  should  bro- 
mide oit  potash  be  administered  to  fowls  ? 

Bromide  of  potash  is  recommended 
for  roup  and  brain  disorders.  Give 
5  to  7  grains  a  day  to  each  sick  fowl, 
also  gargle  the  throats  with  kerosene 
oil.  inject  a  few  drops  into  the  nos- 
trils.    As  a  preventive  of  roup,   give 


18 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Ajtswxrs 


two     grains    to  each  fowl  in  their 
drinking  water. 


Scouring,—  Have  a  game  pullet  that  has 
not  laid  for  a  month.  Her  droppings  are 
rery  soft,  like  white  of  an  egg,  and  stay 
around  the  vent.  Her  comb  is  beginning  to 
ihrink,  she  will  drink  a  little,  but  not  eat 
much.    Could  find  no  lice. 

The  pullet  is  probably  scouring, 
caused  perhaps,  by  too  much  soft 
feed  certainly  by  improper  diet. 
(See  Diarrhoea.) 


Soil  on  Foot.. — Please  inform  me  how  to 
cure  a  boil  on  top  of  the  foot  of  a  hen.  It  ex- 
tends under  her  foot  also.  She  can  scarcely 
walk. 

It  may  be  bumble  foot,  due  to  high 
roost.  If  soft,  lance  it  and  wash 
once  a  day  with  a  solution  of  twenty 
drops  carbolic  acid  in  a  gill  of  warm 
water.  Keep  it  bound  up  with  a 
soft  rag  saturated  with  warm  mutr 
ton  suet. 


Condition  Pomders. — Will  you  give  a  for- 
mula for  a  good  s  ondition  powder  ? 

Carbonate  of  iron  1  oz ;  anise  seed, 
8  oz ;  powdered  ginger,  6  oz ;  mustard, 
1  oz ;  table  salt.  2  oz ;  sulphur,  2  oz ; 
licorice,  4  oz ;  powdered  charcoal,  14 
oz.  These,  powdered  and  mixed 
thoroughly  make  two  pounds  of  good 
condition  powders,  and  if  kept  in  a 
tight  box  will  be  serviceable  for  a 
long  time.  A  teaspoonful  in  ten 
quarts  of  soft  feed,  or  in  that  pro- 
portion, fed  every  day  in  warm 
weather,  or  every  other  day  in 
stormy  and  cold  weather,  will  prove 
of  great  service.  For  growing  chicks, 
one-half  the  amount  of  powders  in 
the  same  quantity  of  feed  is  suffi 
cient.  A  teaspoonful  of  the  tincture 
of  iron  to  each  gallon  of  drinking 
water  should  be  provided  in  all  bad 
seasons. 


Funiif/ation.— state  the  best  plan  of  fumi- 
gation. 

Take  a,  small  furnace,  or  stove  pot, 
or  an  iron  kettle,  into  which  place  a 
pound  or  two  of  crude  roll  sulphur, 
broken  up.  Close  the  doors  and 
windows  (during  the  absence  of  the 
fowls  in  the  forenoon),  and  set  the 
contents  of  the  vessel  on  fire  in  the 
centre  of  the  floor.  Shut  the  house 
up  tight  and  leave  it  to  smoke  a 
couple  of  hours.  This  will  finish  the 
vermin  completely,  for  the  tiiue 
being.     Then  open  all   the  windows 


and  doors  for  subsequent  thorough 
ventilation,  and  your  fowls  wili 
realize  the  benefit  of  this  cleausing^ 
for  weeks  afterward. 


Enteritis. — Having  some  fowls  affected 
with  inflammation  of  the  bowels,or  enteritis 
wouldjlike  to  know  its  cause. 

Enteritis,  or  inflammation  of  the 
bowels,  is  a  common  disorder  among 
poultry.  It  has  so  many  symptoms 
in  common  with  chicken  cholera,  is 
so  rapid  in  its  course,  that  many- 
pronounce  it  real  cholera.  Acute, 
chronic,  dysenteric  and  membrane- 
ous enteritis  are  the  most  commoa 
forms.  Acute  enteritis  is  a  disease 
that  often  attacks  fowls  occupying 
confined  runs  and  uncleanly  kept 
houses,  or  those  fed  on  damaged 
grains,  decomposed  meat,  or  sour 
meal  and  irritating  seeds  or  plants. 
It  is  occasionally  canned  by  surfeit- 
ing the  fowls  with  improper  food, 
indigestion,  the  rupture  of  an  ovum 
and  its  escape  into  the  abdominal 
cavity,  sharp  splinters  of  bone  pier- 
cing some  of  the  intestines,  etc.  Th« 
first  period  of  the  disease  often  passes 
unnoticed,  especially  where  the 
poultry  does  not  receive  the  closest 
attention.  However,  the  first  day 
the  bird  is  dejected,  loses  its  natur- 
ally healthy  and  cheerful  appear- 
ance, and  is  without  appetite.  The 
second  day  the  crop  is  found  empty, 
the  l)eak  slightly  opened,  the  mucus 
membrane  of  the  mouth  dry,  the 
pulse  quick  and  irregular,  and  th« 
skin  hot.  From  this  time  the  symp- 
toms become  intensified  as  the  dis- 
ease progresses.  A  diarrhoea  is  no- 
ticed from  the  first — the  matter 
passed  at  first  being  nearly  solid, 
then  becoming  semi-liquid  and  fin- 
ally very  thin;  serous,  of  a  whitish, 
greyish,  yellowish  color,  and  a  dis- 
agreeable odor.  The  course  of  the 
disease  does  not  extend  over  three  or 
four  days,  and  unless  its  severity  is 
mitigated,  either  by  natural  causes 
or  proper  treatment,  the  bird  at  this 
time  indicates  extreme  suffering  by 
agitating  its  wings,  stretchiug  its 
neck  and  frequently  opening  its 
mouth — death  soon  following. 

JR{/if  JJoMwd.— What  are  the  symptoms  and 
treatment  of  this  difficulty? 

The  hen  eonies  off  the  nest  with- 
out layiuf^  and  walks  about  dis- 
tressed, hanging  down  her  wings. 
Sometimes  she  remains  on  the  nest. 
Give  teaspoonful  of  castor  oil,  if 
this  is   unsueeessful,  wash  the  vent 


Fits  Hukdrbd  Questions  and  Answers 


19 


well  with  warm  water  and  then  pass 
in  an  oiled  feather,  or  better,  inject 
an  ounce  of  sweet  oil.  The  egg  is  too 
larp:e.  Eggs  have  been  known  to  ac 
cumulate  and  form  a  large  tumor. 
It  affects  mostly  hens  that  are  highly 
fed. 


Canher.—Mj  hens  have  some  kind  of  a 
disease.  They  choke,  their  mouths  are  filled 
■with  hard  matter,  and  if  you  take  it  off  it 
Tvlll  bleed.    Their  eyes  emit  matter. 

They  have  canker.  With  a  soft 
rag,  on  a  stick,  swab  the  mouths 
with  a  solution  made  by  dissolving 
a  piece  of  blue  vitriol,  as  large  as  a 
chestnut,  in  a  gill  of  water.  Inject 
a  few  drops  of  kerosene  in  each  nos- 
tril.    (See  Canker.) 

Wafer  Crop. — How  is  water  crop  described 
and  how  treated  ? 

The  symptom  of  a  bird  with  water 
crop  is  a  poor  appetite,  but  it  craves 
and  drinks  water  until  its  crop  is 
distended  and  becomes  sour.  To 
treat,  take  a  bowl  of  water,  in  which 
dissolve  a  quarter  of  a  teaspoonful 
of  baking  soda,,  and  take  the  fowFs 
head  in  the  left  hand  and  with  the 
body  under  the  arm,  holding  head 
downward,  with  the  neck  distended, 
hold  the  beak  open  with  the  right 
hand  and  manipulate  the  contents  of 
the  crop  down  and  out  of  the  mouth. 
Then  give  a  good  dose  of  soda  water; 
a  spoonful  is  sufficient.  Manipulate 
ag  before,  rinsing  out  the  crop  well 
and  being  careful  not  to  irritate  the 
erop  so  as  to  cau?e  inflammation 
Coop  the  chick  by  itself,  feed  spar 
ingly  a  few  day  days  with  bread  and 
scraps  from  the  table,  with  a  sprink- 
ling of  charcoal.  This  will  generally 
cure  it. 


Steelled  Heads  and  Sore  .Ej/c*.  — Have  a 
fowl  that  has  swelled  head  and  sore  eyes, 
teut  does  not  appear  to  have  roup.  What 
about  her? 

It  is  due  to  a  draught  of  air  on  her 
at  night.  The  eye  next  the  draught 
becomes  affected  first.  Often  the 
head  is  swollen  and  great  lumps  ap- 
pear, in  which  stage  the  disease  has 
become  roup.  Mix  one  part  of 
spirits  of  turpentine  and  four  parts 
sweet  oil.  Anoint  head,  face  and 
eomb  once  a  day. 

liver  Disease. — Three  of  ia»y  hens  died. 
©Be  seemed  perfectly  healthy,  was  laying 
»«arly  every  day,   haA   a   red   •omb,  and  I 


could  see  nothing  the  matter  with  it.  The 
liver  of  another  was  five  times  as  large  as  it 
should  be,  and  the  other  had  been  ailing 
quite  a  while,  but  would  always  eat.  The 
liver  of|this  one  had  hard  white  spots  as 
large  as  a  quarter  dollar  on  it.  Is  it  cholera 
or  liver  complaint  ? 

Should  say  the  last  was  liver  dis- 
ease, second  enlargement  of  the 
liver,  (or  fatty  degeneration  of  liver), 
and  the  first  apoplexy.  Fowls  not 
infrequently  drop  dead  of  this  trou- 
ble. It  is  caused  by  condition  pow- 
ders, copperas  solution,  Douglass 
mixture,  and  overfeeding  on  stimu- 
lating food.  Gfive  your  fowls  no 
drugs.     They  cause  disease. 

ILacIi  of  Grit.— I  had  several  pullets  sick 
and  one  died.  Their  crops  were  full  of  feed, 
and  quite  hard.  I  feed  soft  feed  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  grain  at  noon  and  night.  What  is 
in  their  crops  had  been  there  several  days. 
What  was 'it? 

This  is  probably  want  of  grit  and 
overfeeding.  The  want  of  grit  in 
the  crop  and  gizzard  is  to  a  fowl 
what  lack  of  teeth  would  be  to  us. 
A  toothless  person  could  be  fed  on 
soups,  etc.,  and  life  sustained ;  but 
'twould  be  a  profitless  existence. 
What  would  biddy  do  when  she  has 
nothing  with  which  to  grind  up  the 
feed  in  the  gizzard  ?  She  simply 
starves  to  death.  Lack  of  grit  and 
drugs  are  most  fruitful  causes  of  fowl 
ills  that  we  have  to  treat. 

GENERAL  SUGGESTIONS. 

When  your  hens  get  sore  feet,  or 
have  bumble  foot,  it  means  that 
your  roosts  are  too  high. 

Always  have  your  nests  removable, 
and  kerosene  the  roosts,  (under  and 
upper  sides)  once  a  week. 

Feed  no  sulphur  as  It  will  cause 
rheumatism,  or  leg  weakness.  JSTevei 
give  it  in  damp  weather. 

(iriving  water  to  chicks  so  as  to 
allow  them  to  get  their  bodies  wet  is 
certain  death,  as  dampness  is  fatal 
to  them. 

A  mixture  of  two  parts  lard  and 
one  of  sulphur  and  kerosene  oil  will 
remove  the  rough,  scabby  formation 
on  the  legs  of  fowls. 

Do  not  waste  time  trying  to  cure 
egg  bound  hens,  or  persistent  cases 
of  roup.  The  labor  will  be  worth 
more  than  the  hens. 


20 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


Don't  be  too  anxious  for  ventila- 
tion in  winter.  You  will  have  more 
difficulty  keeping  the  cold  air  out 
than  to  let  it  in.  Fowls  dislike 
winds  and  draughts. 

Disinfect  the  entire  premises,  when 
disease  appears,  with  Douglass'  Mix- 
ture, which  is  made  of  two  gallons 
water,  one  pound  copperas,  and  one 
gill  sulphuric  acid. 

For  warts,  sorehead  and  skin  dis- 
eases, rub  once  a  day  with  a  few 
drops  of  the  following:  Lard,  two 
tablespoonfuls;  cedar  oil,  one  tea- 
spoonful;  carbolic  acid,  twenty 
drops. 

When  you  find  a  dead  hen  under 
the  roost  the  cause  is  apoplexy,  from 


overfeeding.  When  your  hens 
gradually  droop  and  die  remove  the 
cock,  as  he  is  the  cause,  especially  if 
he  is  heavy.  If  a  hen  has  the  blind 
staggers  she  is  too  fat. 

If  your  hens  "pip,  "|or  have  swelled 
heads  or  eyes,  therein  a  crack  or  hole 
in  the  wall.  Usually  the  draughts 
from  some  ventilator  are  the  cause, 
and  the  surest  remedy  is  to  keep  the 
house  closed  at  night,  but  it  must  be 
kept  clean. 

When  your  birds  have  swelled 
heads  or  eyes,  or  a  hoarse  breathing, 
ten  chances  to  one  you  have  a  crack 
or  crevice  in  your  p'oultry  house,  or 
draughts  come  in  from  the  top  ven- 
tilator. The  top  ventilator  has 
killed  thousands  of  valuable  fowls. 


CHAPTER    III. 


iLl30Ut     E^^S. 


Soft-Shelled  :Eggs.—My  hens  have  plenty 
■«f  lime  In  the  shape  of  plastering  and  oyster 
shells,  but  they  lay  soft-shelled  eggs.    Why  ? 

Soft  shelled  eggs  are  due  to  some 
cause  not  known.  There  is  no  rem- 
edy for  it.  Fowls  which  occasional- 
ly have  this  fault  will  come  around 
all  right  in  time.  Do  not  doctor 
them  for  it. 


JDarU  and  White  in  Color. — Which  breeds 
«f  fowls  lay  dark  colored  eggs  ?  Which  lay 
-white  7 

Either  of  the  following  breeds  will 
be  found  to  lay  dark,  viz :  Cochins, 
Brahmas,  Wyandottes,  Plymouth 
Rocks  or  Langshans.  Where  eggs 
with  white  shells  are  wished,  they 
will  be  produced  by  Leghorns, 
Minorcas,  Andalusians,  Polish,  Ham- 
burgs,  Games,  Houdans  or  Dorkings. 
Where  both  are  required,  Plymouth 
Rocks  or  Wyandottes,  with  the  Leg- 
horn or  Minorcas,  will  be  found  to 
fill  the  demand  most  satisfactorily. 


How  Prolific. — Please  let  me  know  how 
many  eggs  Leghorns,  Black  Spanish,  Minor 
«as,  Hamburgs,  Light  Brahmas,  Plymouth 
Rocks  and  Wyandottes  lay  in  a  year  on  an 
average  ? 

The  Leghorns,  Black  Spanish, 
Minorcas  and  Hamburgs  are  usually 
credited  with  about  200  apiece  a 
year;  Light  Brahmas  about  100  to 
125:  The  Plymouth  Rocks  and 
Wyandottes  about  150.  About  100 
eggs  a  year  for  each  hen  in  a  flock, 
is  considered  an  average. 


JBroion  'Egg8. — Do  all  pure  Light  Brahmas 
lay  a  dark  brown  egg?  Out  of  my  flock  of 
fifteen  a  few  lay  dark  brown  eggs,  the  others 
very  light  brown.  What  other  breeds  are 
there  that  lay  dark  brown  eggs  ?  Do  any  of 
ihe  Plymouth  Rocks  lay  them  ? 

Brahmas  and  Cochins  lav  brown 
or  dark  eggs.  The  Plymouth  Rocks, 
Langshans  and  Wyandottes  lay  eggs 
that  are  somewhat  dark,  though 
many  of  them  produce  light  ones. 
It  is  seldom  that  the  eggs  of  a  flock 
are  uniform  of  the  breeds  mentioned. 


Oreater  Production. — Can  egg  production, 
be  increased  ? 

Yes,  by  feeding  clover  and  meat 
instead  of  grain  exclusively,  and 
keeping  the  hens  in  exercise,  so  as  to 
avoid  having  them  too  fat. 


How  Much  Cold.— Kow  many  degrees  of 
cold  will  eggs  (that  are  being  saved  for 
hatching)  stand,  and  not  spoil  them  for 
hatching  purposes  ? 

They  should  not  be  exposed  to 
lower  than  40  degrees  above  zero. 
An  egg  freezes  at  about  10  degree« 
above  zero,  which  kills  the  germ. 


Small  in  8ise,— Wh&t  will  cure  a  hen  of 
laying  eggs  far  too  small  for  her  size  ? 

The  trouble  with  such  hens  is  that 
they  are  too  old  to  be  of  any  further 
use.  Such  eggs  are  sterile.  When 
hens  are  young  and  do  thus,  the 
cause  is  generally  high  feeding,  and 
a  course  of  light  diet  will  help  tho 
matter. 


Testing  for  Incubator. — When  should  in- 
cubating eggs  be  tested  and  how  ? 

Eggs .  ought  to  be  tested  when 
seven  days  old.  This  is  done  by 
holding  them  before  a  candle  or 
strong  light,  and  looking  through 
them,  the  hand  shading  the  light 
from  the  eyes  If  clear,  the  egg  is 
infertile,  but  is  quite  good  for  cook- 
ing. If  it  is  dark  in  the  centre,  shad- 
ing off  to  lighter  at  the  edges,  it  is 
fertile.  Two  days  before  hatching 
they  can  again  be  tested,  put  in 
water  heated  to  105  degrees,  or  as 
hot  as  the  hand  can  bear  it.  The 
eggs  containing  live  chickens  will  be 
seen  to  jump  about,  while  the  dead 
eggs  will  either  sink  or  float  move- 
lessly.  This  water  test  will  soften 
the  shell  and  assist  hatching  very 
materially. 


Washing  before  Incubation.— Is  it  not  a 

good  plan  to  wash  eggs  that  come  from  other 
yards  before  incubation  ? 


FlTB   HUTSTDRED   QUESTIONS  AND   ANSWERS 


Before  eggs  obtained  from  strange 
yards  are  placed  under  a  hen,  or 
into  a  hatching  machine,  they 
should  be  carefully  "washed  with 
warm  water,  rinsed,  and  wiped  quite 
dry.  If  this  is  carefully  done  there 
is  not  any  possibility  of  injuring 
the  eggs ;  on  the  contrary,  they  will 
be  in  better  condition,  as  the  pores 
of  the  shell  have  been  freed  from 
dirt.  We  believe  that  disease  germs 
may  be  conveyed  in  the  dirt  attached 
to  the  shell  of  an  egg.  Do  not  wash 
the  eggs  until  they  are  about  to  be 
placed  in  a  machine  or  under  a  hen. 


Sow  to  PacJc  in 'Tars, — Will  you  state  a 
good  method  of  packing-  eggs  ? 

Slack  a  peck  of  clean  lime,  pour 
in  six  pails  of  water  and  drop  in 
three  quarts  of  salt.  Stir  until  all 
is  dissolved;  then  let  it  settle  and  it 
is  ready  for  use.  Pack  the  eggs  in 
jars,  pour  on  the  thinner  lime  water, 
cover  the  jar  with  a  cloth,  and  over 
this  spread  a  coating  of  the  thicker 
portion  of  the  lime.  The  jars  must 
not  be  filled  too  full,  as  the  water 
must  never  be  allowed  to  get  below 
the  tops  of  the  eggs.  Each  peck  of 
lime  will  preserve  more  than  a  hun- 
dred dozen  of  eggs.  A  six  gallon  jar 
will  hold  twenty  dozen  if  rightly 
packed.     The  expense  is  very  little. 


Classification. — How  are  eggs  classified  in 
the  market  ? 

The  Boston  Chamber  of  Com 
merce  has  decided  to  classify  eggs  as 
follows:  Extras,  firsts,  seconds, 
thirds  and  known  marks.  Extras 
shall  comprise  the  very  best  quali 
ties  fresh-laid,  clean  egss  in  season, 
put  up  in  the  Vjest  manner,  where 
every  condition  necessary  to  place 
fine  eggs  in  Boston  market  has  been 
complied  with.  Firsts  shall  com- 
prise fine  marks  of  eggs  such  as  come 
in  carload  lots,  or  smaller  lots,  and 
are  packed  in  fine  order,  fresh  in 
season  and  reasonably  clean,  such 
stock  as  gives  satisfaction  to  most 
customers  Seconds  shall  comprise 
all  stock  that  is  merchantable  and 
inferior  to  firsts.  Thirds  shall  com- 
prise all  poor  stock  in  bad  order, 
rotten,  etc.;  stock  not  considered 
really  merchantable.  Known  marks 
shall  comprise  such  sorts  as  are  well 
known  to  the  trade  under  some  par- 
ticular designation  or  mark,  shall  be 
of  such  quality  as  those  familiar 
with  the  mark  generally  understand 
it  to  be,  in  the  season  in  wliich  it  is 


offered.  Extras  to  pass  at  the  mark 
must  not  lose  to  exceed  one  dozen 
per  100  dozen,  and  firsts  not  mor* 
than  two  dozen  per  100  or  one  and  a 
half  dozen  per  barrel,  if  sold  in 
barrels. 


Mgg  Eaters.— My  hens  eat  their  eggs. 
What  can  I  do  to  prevent  it  ? 

Make  nests  in  a  dark  place  and 
have  them  ten  inches  off  the  floor, 
with  tops,  so  that  hens  must  enter 
them  from  the  front.  As  the  hens 
cannot  reach  the  eggs  from  the  floor, 
and  cannot  well  stand  up  in  th« 
nests,  they  will  soon  be  cured  of  the 
vice. 

Packing  for  SJiipment. — What  is  the  best 
method  of  packing  eggs  for  shipment  ? 

In  packing  eggs  it  is  now  univer- 
sally the  custom  to  wrap  each  egg 
in  paper;  this  is  an  essential  pre- 
caution. But  in  regard  to  the  ma- 
terial used  for  filling  in  between  the 
eggs,  many  sorts  are  used,  but  all 
are  not  good.  Of  the  sorts  in  general 
u.se,  the  chaff  from  a  hay  mow  is  the 
least  objectionable,  as  eggs  packed 
in  it  frequently  go  long  di&tancel 
and  hatch  well.  But  in  our  estima- 
tion the  very  best  material  for  pack- 
ing, and  one  v^ell  adapted  to  com0 
into  general  use,  is  oats,  the  basket 
to  be  covered  with  excelsior  held  in 
place  by  sewing  cheese  cloth  arouud 
it.  Where  cheese  cloth  is  used,  the 
most  customary  way  of  fastening  it 
is  by  using  a  carpet  needle  and  cot- 
ton twine,  sewing  it  down  with  a 
few  long  stitches,  through  the  inter- 
stices of  the  splints,  and  packing  the 
excelsior  between  the  cloth  and  bas- 
ket. 

Drj/  Paching  — Is  dry  packing  as  safe  at 
moist  packing  for  eggs  ? 

Dry  packing  for  eggs  is  as  safe  as 
wet  packing  and  much  more  con- 
venient, but  eggs  must  be  kept  from 
the  air  and  turned  twice  per  week 
or  they  will  adhere  to  the  shell. 
Pack  in  small  boxes  with  light 
covers  so  they  may  be  turned  over 
without  handling  the  eggs.  Use  dry 
salt,  dust,  plaster,  fine  ashes  or  meal, 
and  keep  in  a  cool  place,  40  to  Q9 
degrees.  By  this  means  strictly 
fresh  eggs  may  be  kept  from  two  to 
six  months  and  frequently  one,  by 
holding  them  three  months,  will 
find  a  rise  of  five  to  12  cents  per 
dozen  Infertile  eggs  keep  better 
than    fertile    ones.     To  sell  eggs  at 


Five  Hundred  QuBSTioifS  and  Answers 


23 


IS  to  16  cents,  as  many  do,  is 
folly,  and  although  preserved  eggs 
do  not  look  as  well  nor  bring  quite 
the  price  of  fresh  ones,  they  may  be 
depended  on  and  the  process  pays 
one  well  for  his  labor. 


Bloody  Spots.— I  frequently  find  a  fresh 
drop  of  blood  in  eggs.  Please  state  the 
••use. 

It  is  due  to  the  rupture  of  a  mi- 
nute blood  vessel  during  the  forma- 
tion of  the  eggs,  especially  when 
hens  are  very  highly  fed.  It  is  not 
a  serious  matter. 


Fertilization. — How  soon  are  eggs  ferti- 
Utsed  after  a  male  is  admitted  to  floclc  T 

Usually  about  five  days,  but  much 
depends  upon  circumstances,  such 
as  position  of  the  eggs,  etc. 

■    Selecting  for  Incubation.— la  there  any 
rale  to  guide  ia  choosing  eggs  for  hatching  ? 

In  selecting  eggs  for  hatching  se- 
lect those  that  are  of  good  shape, 
and  uniform  in  size.  If  one  or  two 
of  the  lot  are  small,  the  chicks  will 
be  correspondingly  small,  and  as  a 
general  thing,  weak.  Choose  eggs 
from  strong,  vigorous  fowls,  that 
have  been  bred  with  some  end  in 
riew. 


Preserving  Process. — I  would  like  a  good 
recipe  for  preserving  eggs. 

The  following  is  known  as  the 
Havana  process :  Take  24  gallons  of 
water,  12  lbs.  of  unslaked  lime,  and 
4  lbs.  of  salt,  or  in  that  proportion 
according  to  the  quantity  of  eggs  to 
be  preserved;  stir  it  w^ell  several 
times  a  day,  and  then  let  it  stand 
till  the  liquor  has  settled  and  is  per 
fectly  clear.  Draw  or  carefully  dip 
off  the  clear  liquid,  leaving  the  sedl- 
m.ent  at  the  bottom.  Take  for  the 
above  amount  of  liquid  5  ounces 
each  of  baking  soda,  cream  of  tartar, 
saltpetre  and  borax  and  an  ounce  of 
alum.  Pulverize  and  mix  these,  and 
dissolve  in  one  gallon  of  boiling 
water,  and  add  to  the  mixture  about 
20  gallons  of  pure  lime  water.  This 
will  about  fill  a  cider  barrel.  Put 
the  eggs  in  ca,refully,  so  as  not  to 
crack  any  of  the  shells,  letting  the 
water  always  stand  an  inch  above 
the  eggs,  which  can  be  done  by 
placing  a  barrel  head  a  little  smaller 
»pon  them  and  weighting  it.  This 
amount  of  liquid  will  preserve  150 
4oEen  eggs.     It  is  not  necessary  to 


wait  to  get  a  full  barrel  or  smaller 
package  of.  eggs,  but  they  can  be 
put  in  at  any  time  that  they  can  be 
obtained  fresh.  But  the  same 
liquid  should  be  used  only  once. 

Should  Eggs  Best.— Does  it  injure  eggs  to 
ship  them  long  aistances,  and  how  long 
should  they  rest  before  being  put  in  incuba- 
tors ? 

There  is  a  foolish  notion  prevail- 
ing among  some  fowl  breeders,  that 
eggs  which  have  been  shipped  a  dis- 
tance should  rest  a  day  or  two  before 
being  placed  in  an  incubator.  As 
soon  as  the  hens  are  ready  to  set,  or 
the  incubator  ready  for  work,  place 
the  eggs  under  or  in  at  once ;  they 
will  rest  as  comfortably  in  either 
place  as  elsewhere,  in  fact,  better; 
for  everybody  knows  that  the  fresher 
the  eggs  the  more  chicks  they  will 
yield,  and  the  healthier  the  chicks. 
The  germ  floats  to  the  top  of  the- 
egg  and  will  find  its  way  there  in  a 
half  minute,  at  the  most,  if  revolved 
a  hundred  time  an  hours ;  and  the 
yolk  will  find  its  place  just  as  soon 
if  it  has  not  been  broken,  in  which 
case  it  might  rest  a  month  or  a  year 
and  never  hatch.  We  have  tried 
numerous  eggs,  travelling  from  80  to 
3,500  miles,  and  always  found  that 
the  sooner  incubation  was  started 
the  better  the  result. 

POINTERS  ON  PRESERVING  EGGS. 

1.  Only  strictly  fresh  eggs  can  be 
preserved,  and  in  packing  them  the 
eggs  should  not  touch  each  other, 
as  one  bad  eg^  will  spoil  the  whole. 

2.  Eggs  collected  from  neighbors, 
or  at  stores,  will  not  answer,  as  even 
the  most  obliging  neighbor  may  un- 
intentionally impose  a  stale  egg  on 
you. 

3.  Eggs  from  hens  not  in  company 
with  cocks  will  keep  three  times  as 
long  as  will  those  from  hens  mated 
with  cocks.  Hence,  in  summer,  after 
hatching  is  over,  remove  the  males, 
as  the  hens  will  lay  fully  as  well 
without  them. 

4.  Keep  the  eggs  as  near  sixty  de- 
grees as  possible,  but  seventy  is  not 
too  high.  In  other  words,  keep 
them  in  a  cool  place  in  summer,  and 
do  not  let  them  freeze  in  winter.  The 
cooler  you  keep  them  the  better. 

5.  Eggs  will  keep  in  a  cool  place, 
if  simply  turned  often,  without  any 
packing  at  all,  especially  if  they  are 
from  hens  not  in  company  with 
cocks. 


Poi;ilt]?y  Si:iil<ii]:i^s. 


A  BUILDING  COSTING  ABOUT  $80. 


[From  our  *  Low  Cost  Poultry  Houses."] 


The  building  shown  at  Fig.  1  of 
the  engraving  on  next  page  is  40  ft. 
front  by  12  ft.  in  width,  and  same 
plans  can  ^be  adapted  to  a  lean-to 
Btrncture  if  preferred.  The  ar- 
rangement of  interior  is  simple.  An 
alley  2  ft.  6  in.  wide  extends  full 
length  of  building  (see  Fig.  4)  with 
a  cross  alley  4  ft.  wide  from  wtich 
entrance  is  had  to  the  pens.  Each 
pen  is  about  9  ft.  square.  The  nests 
are  so  arranged  as  to  be  accessible 
for  gathering  the  eggs  from  the  long 
alley.  At  Fig.  2  a  section  of  nest 
boxes  and  roosting  perches  is  shown. 
The  nests  are  one  foot  square  with 
an  opening  to  each  box  in  alley- way. 
The  location  of  the  roosting  perches 
and  drop  boards  may  be  seen  at  Fig. 
§.  The  perches  are  on  a  hinged 
frame  so  that  they  may  be  turned  up 
out  of  the  way  when  drop  board  is 
eleaned. 

The  house  is  sided  with  boards. 
The  windows  are  8x5  ft.  2  in.  Par- 
titions are  boarded  up  2  ft.  from 
ground  and  above  the  boards  there 
is  4  ft.  wire  netting.  The  inside 
doors  are  simply  .frames  covered  with 
wire.     The  following  shows 

COST  OF  MATERIAL. 

1,300  sq.  ft.  matched  boards, 

spruce |26  00 

850  ft.  2x4  joist 4  00 

300  ft   2x3  scantling 3  50 

4  windows 20  00 

250  sq.  ft.  wire  netting 3  75 

300  sq   ft.  tar  roofing 6  00 

Nails  and  hard  ware 1  00 

Labor  of  carpenter 18  00 

Total  cost  $82  25 

Each  additional  running  foot  front 
will  cost  approximately  about  $3.25. 


Chaff,  straw,  Ete.—l  wish  to  put  som& 
thing  on  the  floor  of  my  hen  house  to  throw- 
feed  on|in  order  to  make  the  hens  scratck 
for  it.  If  chaff  cannot  be  had  will  not  shav- 
ings answer.'haying  them  three  inches  thick 
on  the  floor  ? 

Yes,"  if  broken  fine;  or  you  may 
use  cut  straw,  which  comes  in  bales. 


Partitions.— 'Before  I  build  my  poultry 
house  and  yards,  I  would  like  to  know,  U  I 
would  have  much  trouble  with  my  fowl* 
fighting,  if  I  should  make  the  lower  part  ot 
the.partitions  of  wire  netting  ? 

Have  the  bottom  of  boards,  two 
feet  high,  as  they  will  peck  eaoh. 
other  through  the  wire. 


Ventilation.— yVh.&\j  is   the  best  mode  <» 
ventilation  ? 

The  proper  way  to  ventilate  is  to 
run  a  shaft  4x6  inches  inside,  from 
within  4  inches  of  the  floor  up 
through  the  roof  and  to  a  h«ight  of 
2  feet  above  the  highest  point  of  the 
roof,  putting  on  a  cap  to  exclude 
rain,  and  snow,  and  leave  side  open- 
ings for  a  draught. 


A  Stone  Walled  Hom»p.— What  would  yoa 
think  ot  building  the  walls  of  a  poultry  bonae 
of  stone  and  mortar?  I  intend  to  build  a 
house  15x100  feet,  and  as  I  am  a  stone  mason 
by  trade  I  can  build  it  of  stone  for  about  haif 
what  the  lumber  would  cost  me. 

Stone  walls  laid  up  in  mortar  and 
cement  would  make  an  excellent 
house,  only  that  care  should  be 
taken  to  build  it  in  midsummer,  so 
that  it  would,  get  thoroughly  dry 
before  frost  comes.  It  would  he 
greatly  improved  by  fastening  strips 
of  furring  to  the  inside,  about  three 
feet  apart  and  then  ceiling  up.  This 
would  give  an  inch  dead-air  space 
to  keep  out  dampness  and  frost,  and 
make  it'much    warmer    than    other- 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


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A  Poultry  House  Costing  About  $80. 


FiTK  Hundred  Questions  aisd  Answers 


Boom  in  Winter. — How  mueh  floor  space 
should  20  fowls  have  for  a  winter  house? 

A  house  10x10  feet  should  accomo- 
date 30  to  40  hens  in  the  winter 
season  witnout  crowding,  as  they 
can,  at  this  season,  be  together  with 
less  inconvenience,  but  the  fact  is 
the  more  room  the  better.  It  is  not 
how  much  room  on  the  roost  is  re- 
quired, hut  how  much  room  on  the 
floor  should  be  given,  as  that  is 
where  the  hens  are  to  work  and 
scratch.  If  the  hens  have  access  to 
a  covered  shed  in  which  to  exercise 
during  the  day  it  will  not  matter, 
on  cold  nights,  if  30  hens  be  allowed 
to  roost  in  a  house  10x10  feet,  for 
they  will  get  more  fresh  air  than  can 
be  kept  out,  in  the  winter  season. 
The  rule  of  ten  is  a  good  one  for 
calculating  the  space  required,  which 
is,  in  summer,  to  allow  10  hens  in  a 
house  6x10  feet,  and  allow  them  a 
yard  10x20  to  40  feet.  In  winter  one- 
half  that  space  will  answer.  The 
higger  the  run  the  better. 


Earth  Floors. — What  do  you  thlnt  about 
earth  floors  in  poultry  house  ? 

Many  prefer  them.  Use  the  most 
mellow  soil  you  can  procure.  Loam  is 
better  than  sand;  the  drier  it  is 
the  better.  If  the  air  in  your  hennery 
is  full  of  dust  arising  from  the  hens 
scratching  and  wallowing,  then  you 
may  know  that  the  premises  are 
thoroughly  disinfected.  Especially  is 
it  beneficial  to  have  an  ample  quantity 
of  dry  earth  under  the  perches.  The 
dust  from  fine,  dry  loam  which 
settles  upon  the  nest  boxes,  perches 
and  every  part  of  the  woodwork 
tends  to  keep  off  vermin,  so  that  in 
some  cases  no  white-washing  is 
necessary.  Be  sure  by  all  means  that 
the  bed  of  earth  which  forms  the 
floor  is  higher  than  the  ground 
surrounding  the  buildiner,  so  that 
the  surface  water,  when  there  are 
thaws  and  rains  will  not  run  into 
the  building.  As  an  additonal  pre- 
caution, surround  the  building  with 
a  shallow  ditch  communicating,  if 
possible,  with  lower  ground  in  the 
vicinity. 


Chief  Jteyuirements  — Being  about  to 
erect  a  poultry  house,  what  are  some  of  the 
cliief  requirements  to  be  observed  ? 

For  economy's  sake,  the  v^alls 
should  not  be  carried  up  too  high 
from  the  ground.  The  inside  of  a 
fowl  house  need  not  be  over  seven  or 
eight  feet  high  at  the  eaves,  on  either 
side,     with     a     "one-third     pitch" 


above  this  for  the  roof.  If  the  build- 
ing has  only  a  "shed"  roof,  or  on* 
slant  of  covering,  the  back  wall  may 
be  three  to  five  feet  high,  and  th» 
front  seven  or  eight  feet  from  th» 
sills.  In  all  cases  look  well  to  th« 
means  of  having  the  building 
thoro  ughly  ventilated,  when  desired. 
An  opening  in  the  ridge  for  thii 
purpose,  or  one  at  both  sides  of  th« 
house  under  the  eaves  is  best 
Have  a  screen  trap  door  or  slide, 
inside,  that  may  be  raised  or  shut 
at  will,  conveniently.  Nothing  i« 
more  surely  conducive  to  good  health 
in  your  poultry,  continuously,  than 
affording  them  pure  air  to  breathe. 
In  confined  premises  where  there  is 
no  opportunity  for  the  rapidly 
accumulating  foul  air  within  to 
escape,  chickens  or  adult  birds  can- 
not thrive.  The  breathing  over  and 
over  of  this  impure  atmosphere  gene- 
rates disease  inevitably;  and  the 
careless  or  inexperienced  breeder 
discovers' '  roup, "  "  sniffles, ' '  swelled 
head,"  "pip,"  and  a  score  of  other 
so-called  fowl  diseases  among  his 
stock,  most  of  which  are  fairly 
chargeable  for  their  origin  to  thi» 
neglect  regarding  proper  ventilation. 
Fresh  air,  clean  water,  varied  feed, 
and  all  the  range  you  can  give  th« 
birds  in  good  weather,  are  chief 
requirements  toward  their  health 
and  thrift.  Of  these,  pure  breathing 
may  be  counted  as  among  the  very- 
first  important  requisites.  Venti- 
lation, however,  must  not  permit  of 
draughts,  or  come  down  on  th« 
fowls  from  the  top. 

Bouse  for  Four  Breeds. — Will  you  giv« 
directions  for  arranging  a  house  for  four  dif- 
ferent breeds  ?  I  do  not  want  the  building 
to  be  over  12x16  and  it  is  to  hold  20  of  each 
breed. 

The  proper  plan  is  to  allow  five 
square  feet  for  each  hen.  That  is,  a 
house  5x10  feet  (50  square  feet), 
should  accomodate  10  hens.  You 
cannot  arrange  it  to  hold  80  birds, 
as  you  desire. 

Mouse  and  Yard, — How  large  a  poultry 
house  should  I  have  to  accommodate  twenty- 
five  laying  hens  ?  Would  a  yard  2  rods  wide 
and  10  rods  long  do  for  that  many  hens? 
Would  it  keep  them  in  grass  If  it  was  in  an 
orchard  ?  How  high  a  netting  ^ence  should 
I  have  for  pure  Leghorns,  or  for  a  cross  of 
Leghorns  on  Plymouth  Rocks  ? 

That  number  would  do  very  well 
in  a  house  12x15  feet,  aud  six  feet 
high  to  eaves,  but  better  in  a    house 


Five  Hundred  Qxtestiohts  aitd  Abtswers 


ST 


18x20,  divided  into  two  pens  10x13, 
irith  yard  divided  in  halves  also. 
The  size  yard  mentioned  would  be  a 
liberal  yard,  and  should  keep  in 
grass  all  the  ^rowinp:  season.  All 
the  better  if  it  is  an  orchard.  A 
fence  should  be  six  feet  for  either 
kind;  although  with  a  liberal  yard 
they  are  less  likely  to  fly  than  if 
shut  in  a  small  yard. 

Cement  Floors. — Is  cement  floor  good  for 
poultry  ?    If  not,  why  ? 

It  is  better  as  a  precaution  against 
rats,  but  is  cold,  hence  not  so  suit- 
able as  boards,  and  it  is  sometimes 
damp,  owing  to  condensation  of 
moisture.  Put  earth  on  it  and  it 
will  be  all  right. 


Seating  a  Poultry  Bouse. — What  kind 
•f  heating  apparatus  would  be  best  to  heat  a 
poultry  house  32  feet  long  by  20  feet  wide.liall 
in  centre,  cemented  cellar  6  feet  deep. 

It  is  best  to  use  no  heating  arrange- 
ment, as  it  may  make  the  hens  deli- 
•ftte  and  more  liable  to  colds. 

Iieg  WeaJeness  from  Board  Floor. — Will 
keeping  old  chickens  on  board  floors  cause 
leg  weakness  If  they  have  proper  food  ?  Can 
young  chicks  be  rai  ed  to  market  age  in  a 
room  with  board  floor  ? 

Board  floors  will  not  cause  leg 
weakness  if  the  chicks  are  given 
litter  to  scratch  in,  and  are  given 
•overing  at  night  over  them. 


If  for  breeding,  use  one  to  a  flock, 
of  a  dozen  always.  If  for  eggs  only, 
and  all  in  one  flock,  keep  no  male — 
two  roosters  in  any  flock  is  one  to 
many. 


Ventilating  a  Cellar. — I  have  a  cellar,  13 
feet  wide  and  22  feet  long,  two  windows  at 
west  end  and  one  window  at  east  end,  with 
double  doors.  I  want  to  keep  SO  Leghorns  in 
it  this  winter.    How  am  I  to  ventilate  it? 

Do  not  ventilate  at  all  in  winter 
except  to  leave  the  doors  open  during 
the  day.  At  night  the  house  should 
be  closed;  no  openings  at  all.  It  will 
be  harder  to  keep  out  the  cold  air 
than  you  may  think. 


Various  Questions. — How  large  a  house  for 
100  hens  ?  2.  Should  laying  room  be  parti- 
tioned off  from  roosting  room  ?  3.  150  chick- 
ens in  a  house  10  feet  square — are  they 
too  crowded  ?  4.  How  many  roosters  to  100 
hens  ? 

For  permanent  quarters,  full  grown 
fowls  require  at  least  five  square 
feet  of  ground  room  per  head.  Thus 
100  hens  would  need  a  house  10x50 
feet — height  is  not  so  important. 
8.  Not  necessarily.  3.  Yes,  or  very 
Boon  will  be,  if  they    grow  any.     4. 


South  or  Southeast. — In  which  directiois 
should  a  poultry  house  face,  to  get  the  early 
sun's  warmth  ?  Some  say  south  and  some 
say  southeast  ? 

The  southeast  direction  is  proper 
if  the  warmth  is  desired  very  early,  . 
but  there  will  be  less  warmth  from 
the  sun  in  the  afternoon.  We  would 
advise  the  southeast  direction  for  the 
reason  that  the  morning  is  the  time 
the  warmth  is  most  needed. 

The  Bfst  Poultry  Bouse. — Which  is  the 
best  plan  for  a  poultry  house  ? 

A  poultry  house  is  like  a  dwelling 
house  no  two  persons  will  agree. 
Much  depends  on  climate,  lay  of  the 
land,  soil,  etc.  The  most  potent 
factor  is  the  "pocket-book,"  as  no 
matter  what  the  plan  may  be,  it 
must  correspond  with  the  contemp- 
lated cost.  Hence,  we  can  only  reply 
that  there  is  no  best  poultry  house. 
Our  book  on  "Low-cost  Poultry 
Houses"  (price  25  cents)  has  numer- 
ous plans  with  specifications  and 
cost. 


Winter  Ventilation. — Is  it  necessary  to 
ventilate  in  winter  ? 

Ventilators  to  poultry  houses  have 
done  more  damage  to  poultry  in 
winter  than  anything  else.  If  the 
air  of  the  poultry  houses  in  winter 
is  foul,  some  excuse  may  be  made  for 
the  ventilator,  but  the  severe  cold 
seals  up  all  sources  of  odor,  and  in  a 
short  time  turns  all  liquids  to  solids. 
The  poultry  house  can  be  amply 
purified  and  ventilated  by  leaving 
the  doors  and  windows  open  during 
the  day  and  using  dry  dirt  on  the 
roost  board  and  floor  as  an  absorbent, 
but  the  ventilator  at  the  top  of  the 
poultry  house  should  never  be  left 
open  after  cold  weather  sets  in. 
Let  your  object  in  winter  be  to  secure 
warmth  first.  Ventilation  will  take 
care  of  itself,  and  you  will  have  more 
difficulty  in  keeping  the  cold  air  out 
than  to  let  it  in. 


To  Fumigate  Poultry  Bouses . — Can  you 

give  some  practical  method   of  fumigating 
poultry  buildings  ? 

A   writer    in    th«   Poultry    World 
gives  his  method   as    follows :     Turn 


2S 


FivB  HujfDRED  Questions  ais^d  Answers 


out  the  fowls  some  cool  or  damp 
day,  and  close  all  the  cracks  in  the 
house  except  the  door.  Then  take  a 
kettle  of  live  coals  and  place  on  the 
ground  in  the  centre,  but  if  there  is 
a  wood  floor  lay  a  flat  stone  in  on 
which  to  set  the  kettle.  Throw  a 
half-pound  or  pound  of  sulphur  upon 
the  coals  and  shut  the  door,  and 
the  house  closed  for  a  few  hours, 
and  we  will  venture  to  say  no  more 
lice  or  mites  will  be  found  in  it  for 
a  few  weeks  thereafter.  If  the  house 
is  not  tight  enough  to  admit  of  a 
thorough  fumigation  in  the  manner 
described,  then  clean  as  well  as  you 
can,  and  then  mix  white-wash  with 
fresh  lime,  mixing  a  liberal  quantity 
of  sulphur,  after  which  throw 
sulphur  into  all  the  cracks,  and  apply 
kerosene  oil  to  all  the  roosts.  The 
house  should  be  well  aired  before 
the  fowls  are  admitted,  and  well 
ventilated  at  night.  We  have  never 
known  the  "sulphur  cure"  to  fail 
if  properly  applied. 


ADDiriONAL  QUESTIONS. 


Is  it  positively  necessary  to  have 
sunlight  m  poultry  houses?  (We 
should  say  yes. ) — Should  buildings 
always  be  ventilated?  (Yes.) — Do 
yoa  favor  building  near  pig  pens? 
( We  do  not. ) — Should  buildings  be 
on  a  foundation  above  ground? 
(Yes,    otherwise    the    surface  water 


in  heavy  showers  may  make  the 
floors  wet  and  damp. ) — Should 
perches  be  moveable?  (By  all 
means. ) — What  style  of  roof  is  most 
economical?  (One  with  only  one 
side  which  extends  to  the  ground. ) — 
Is  wire  preferable  to  lath  for  parti- 
tions? (We  think  so. ) — Is  a  hall  or 
passage  way  necessary?  (It  is 
decidedly  preferable. ) — Is  a  two-story 
building  advantageous?  (Yes;  the 
roof  costs  no  more  and  the  upper 
story  can  be  used  for  various 
purposes.  — ( What  ought  a  good  house 
for  60  or  80  fowls  cost?  (A  good 
house  with  four  pens  can  be  built 
for  $100  and  perhaps  less. ) — How 
much  room  should  a  dozen  fowls 
have?  (About  12  feet  square.) — 
What  is  a  good  cheap  style  of  roof? 
(Roof  boards  of  hemlock  or  spruce 
covered  with  tarred  paper  and  then 
shingled. ) — Where  should  the  roosts 
be  located?  (Out  of  the  line  of 
draughts. ) — What  size  should  the 
roosting  pole  be?  (A  pole  about  the 
size  of  a  person's  wrist  makes  the 
best  roosting  pole  and  is  better  than 
2x4  scantling. ) — Are  high  roosts 
advisable?  (Decidedly  not.) — What 
sJiould  be  the  size  of  ventilators? 
(About  five  inches  square  inside 
measure  and  run  below  roost  plat- 
forms. ) — Should  board  floors  be  laid 
on  or  very  near  the  ground?  (They 
should  be  at  least  one  foot  above 
ground. ) — What  makes  a  good  lining 
for  a  poultry  house?  (Tarred 
paper. ) 


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CllAPTER  V. 


Xxi.ci;il>£i<tox*s  £i>]9.d  Sx'oilex*  Rsiisii^.^ 


\RULES  FOR  HATCHING  WITH  INCUBATORS. 


I.  Hatching  chicks  with  an  in- 
cubator is  a  winter  pursuit. 

3.  The  hen  seldom  sits  in  winter, 
hence  she  and  the  incubator  do  not 
conflict. 

3.  Eggs  in  winter  do  not  hatch  as 
•well  as  eggs  under  hens  in  April. 

4.  Hens  that  lay  in  winter  cannot 
produce  as  fertile  eggs  at  that  time 
as  in  the  spring,  for  the  cold  season 
prevents  exercise,  the  hens  become 
fat  and  the  pullets  are  not  as  fully 
matured,  while  the  male,  if  he  has 
a  frosted  comb,  suffers  from  cold 
and  becomes  unserviceable. 

5.  Eegs  are  sometimes  chilled  in 
winter.  When  you  buy  them  you 
take  many  chances. 

6.  Do  not  use  extra  large  eggs,  or 
small  eggs.  Have  all  eggs  of  normal 
aize,  and  of  perfect  shape. 

7.  In  winter  the  hen  will  not 
hatcb  one-half  of  her  eggs  nor  raise 
one-third  of  her  chicks. 

8.  Do  not  be  afraid  to  watch  your 
incubator.  It  pays  as  well  to  keep 
awake  all  night  to  watch  a  hundred 
chicks  hatch  out  as  it  does  to  keep 
awake  to  save  a  |5  calf  from  loss 
when  it  is  dropped  and  the  chicks  are 
worth  more  than  the  calf. 

9.  No  incubator  has  brains.  It 
will  regulate  but  cannot  think. 

10.  When  chicks  die  in  the  shell 
the  chances  are  that  too  much 
draught  of  air  comes  over  them. 
When  a  hen  is  hatching  she  will 
fight  if  even  a  feather  is  lifted  from 
her.  She  will  allow  not  the  slightest 
change  of  temperature  and  she  will 
hatch  as  well  in  a  dry  place  as  in 
a  moist  location. 

II.  Dry  warm  nests  in  winter, 
and  moist  nests  in  summer,  is  an 
old  proverb,  hence  the  moisture 
depends  on  the  season.  Less  is  re- 
quired in  the  incubator  in  winter. 


12.  Thermometers  change  Mhey 
should  be  tested  frequently. 

18.  As  the  chicks  progress  in  the 
eggs  they  give  off  heat,  hence  be 
careful  of  the  lamp,  hot  water,  or 
whatever  the  source  of  heat  may  be. 

14.  Too  much  moisture  covers 
the  egg  and  excludes  the  air  from 
the  chicks  within  the  eggs. 

15.  No  currents  of  air  can  pass 
through  an  incubator  without  a 
plentiful  supply  of  moisture,  but  in 
incubators  that  have  no  currents  but 
little  moisture  is  needed. 

16.  Do  not  laDor  under  the  de- 
lusion that  a  young  chick  is  always 
dying  in  the  shell  for  lack  of  fresh 
air,  and  that  it  must  have  as  much 
as  a  young  animal. 

17.  Do  not  take  out  the  chicks 
until  you  believe  all  are  hatched. 
Leave  the  chicks  in  the  incubator. 
If  you  take  them  out,  the  heat  will 
suddenly  drop,  and  you  will  also  let 
in  the  cold  air  on  the  eggs.  Never 
disturb  the  eggs  when  chicks  are 
hatching. 

18.  Test  your  incubator  with  mois- 
ture, no  moisture,  plenty  of  air,  and 
air  shut  off,  as  each  incubator  differs 
from  the  other. 

19.  Eggs  will  be  aired  sufficiently 
when  the  eggs  are  turned.  It  is  of 
no  consequence  to  cool  them,  but 
this  depends  on  circumstances. 

20.  If  chicks  do  not  hatch  out  by 
the  twenty-first  day  your  heat  is  too 
low. 

21.  If  the  chicks  begin  to  hatch'on 
the  eighteenth  day  your  heat  is 
rather  high. 

22.  Do  not  put  eggs  in  at  different 
periods  during  the  hatch,  and  do  not 
hatch  ducklings  and  chicks  together. 

23.  The  same  rules  apply  to^the 
eggs  of  hens,  ducks,  turkeys  and 
guineas,  as  regards  heat  and  mois- 
ture. 


S9 


Five  Hundred  QtJESTioM"s  ajtd  Ahswkrs 


24.  Never  sprinkle  eggs.  It  lowers 
the  heat  instantly,  and  sometimes 
kills  the  chicks  in  the  shells. 

35.  If  the  incubator  shows  mois- 
ture on  the  glass,  do  not  open  the  egg 
drawer  until  it  is  dry.  Cold  air  and 
dampness  kill  the  chick,  the  heat 
being  lowered  by  rapid   evaporation. 

36.  The  reason  why  the  hen  that 
steals  her  nest  hatches  so  well  is 
because  you  do  not  give  her  all  sorts 
of  eggs,  such  as  large  eggs,  small 
eggs  and  eggs  from  old  hens  and 
immature  pullets,  such  a  you  put  the 
in  incubator. 

37.  Keep  away  the  curious  visitor 
just  when  your  eggs  are  hatching. 

38.  Keep  the  incubator  in  a  place 
of  moderate  temperature.  A  winaow 
on  one  side  will  make  that  side 
cooler  than  the  other. 

39.  Let  the  bulb  of  the  ther- 
mometer touch  a  fertile  egg. 

30.  Begin  with  a  100-egg  incuba- 
tor, and  learn,  before  you  try  a 
larger  one. 

31.  No  matter  how  much  you 
read,  experience  will  be  the  best 
teacher. 

38.  Have  your  incubator  warm 
before  you  nut  in  the  eggs. 

33.  A  child  cannot  manage  an 
incubator,  all  claims  to  the  contrary. 
Incubators  are  not  toys.  Don't  turn 
over  a  man's  work  to  a  boy. 

34.  Don't  expect  to  hatch  with- 
out work.  The  man  who  expects  to 
get  chicks  by  trusting  to  the 
regulator  to  keep  the  heat  regular 
does  not  deserve  success.  Work  is 
required  for  othc  stock  that  need 
winter  care,  and  the  artificial  hen 
is  no  exception. 


Ren's  or  Duch'n  Fggs. — Are  the  condi- 
tions tlie  same  witli  tlie  incubators  in  liatch- 
ing  duck  eggs  as  with  hen's  eggs?  That  is, 
shall  I  keep  the  same  moisture  and  heat  in 
the  incubator  for  the  duck  eggs  as  for  the 
hen's  eggs  ? 

The  conditions  are  the  same,  only 
the  dnck  eges  want  but  little  mois- 
ture the  first  three  weeks,  really 
requiring  less  moisture  than  hen's 
eggs.  The  temperature  required  is 
the  same. 


The    Jtest     Jtroilera. 

breeds  for  broilers  ? 


-Which     are    good 


Plymouth  Rock,  Brahmas,  Cochins, 
Wyandottes,  Langshaus  and  Leg- 
horns, White  Wonders  and  Cornish 
Indians. 


Might  Ttmt'perat'iire. — Please  inform  m« 
how  hot  or  eold  it  must  be  in  the  incubator 
to  speil  the  eggs. 

Lower  than  40  is  injurious,  and 
116  for  an  hour  will  spoil  them. 
These  are  extremes. 

ITo  Test  far  Fertility.— Do  you  know  of 
any  egg  tester  by  which  you  can  tell  a  fer- 
tilized egg  before  putting  in  the    incubator  T 

There  is  no  way  of  knowing  if  oa 
is  egg  fertile  before  being  used  for 
incubation. 


Cellar  for  an  Ineubator.-r-'W ill  a  damp 

cellar  do  for  au  incubator  ? 

Yes.  In  a  damp  cellar  you  will  not 
heed  any  moisture  pans  in  th» 
machine,  as  the  natural  moisture  of 
the  cellar  air  \vill  be  sufficient.  But 
a  dry  cellar  is  the  best. 


ChiehB  in  JBrosder. — How  long  should 
chickens  be  kept  in  the  brooder  before  they 
can  do  without  artificial  heat  ? 

Until  about  eight  or  ten  weeks 
old,  but  it  depends  on  the  season  and 
weather.  The  rule  is  to  keep  them, 
in  the  brooder  until  they  are  well 
feathered. 


Si»e  ofSrooHer  Bowse.— What  should  be 
the  size  of  a  house  in  which  to  raise  75  to  19* 
chicks  to  three  pounds,  and  will  a  house 
built  of  rough  boards,  and  covered  with  good 
roofing,  be  warm  enough  ? 

A  house  10x12,  dividedjinto'two 
pens  6x10,  will  do  very  swell,  A 
brooder^wi'l  comfortably  accommo- 
date 50  to  60  chicks  till  eight, or  ten 
weeks  old,  at  which  age  they^should 
be  ready  for  market. 

Chicks  Dead  in  Shell. — I  am  using  an  In- 
cubator and  have  had  very  good  success  uh- 
til  recently.  Now  I  find  many  full  grown 
chicks  dead  in  the  shell.    What  is  the  cauaef 

Too  much  heat  probably,  ""although 
it  18  not  certain  that  it  is  the  fault 
of  the  incubator;  the  same  thing 
happens  sometimes  with  hens.  No 
one  has  yet  found  out  why  chick* 
die    in'  the    Bhell. 


Heat  ait  104  Degrees. — Will  it  do  harm  to 
have  the  heat  rise  to  106  degrees  In  an  in- 
cubator after  the  eggs  have  been  in  three 
days  or  more  7 

It  will  cause  the  chicks  to  hatch  a 
day  or  two  earlier  than  they  should 
if  the  heat  is  too    high,  but   a   tern- 


PrT»  HtfiTDRjED  Questions  aitd  Answers 


31 


]?«ratTire  of  106  degree*   for   a   short 
iim»  will  do  but  little  injury. 


^  40O-Egg  JXaehlne.—GixK  dimensions 
*er  a  4C0-egg  hot--w»tftr  Incubator.  Is  it 
ieeeseary  to  have  the  tank  proportionately 
larger  than  a  100-egg  incubator  ? 

To  estimate  ttie  capacity,  allow 
iour  square  inches  for  each  egg. 
Hence  tank  for  400-egg  incubator 
should  be  1600  square  inches  or  40x- 
40  inches.  If  preferred  it  may  be 
«bont  35x45  or  of  any  shape  de- 
«ired. 


Measurement  of  Moisture. — Can  I  get  too 
atueh  moisture  in  the  machine  7  After  the 
•ggs  had  been  in  three  days  I  set  two  baking 
yans  of  water  under  the  egg  trays  and 
sprinkled  the  eggs  twice  a  day. 

Ifever  sprinkle  eggs  as  the  con- 
stant chilling  twice  a  day  to  which 
yon  subjected  the  eggs  probably 
killed  the  germs;  some  early,  others 
Italf  grown,  and  others  which  were 
kardier  and  stronger,  survived 
nearly  long  enough  to  escape.  A 
lew  sponges  are  sufiELcient  for  mois- 
ture. 


Jf««0  Much  Moisture. — How  often,  how 
Kneh  and  what  time  should  moisture  be  put 
is  a   two-lamp    incubator  f      Capacity,   200 

The  measurement  of  moisture  is 
impossible.  Water  evaporates  more 
rapidly  when  warm  than  when  cold. 
Everything  depends  on  how  much 
«ir  flows  in,  the  temperature,  stage 
et  incubation,  cubic  inches  of  space 
in  incubator,  etc.  No  one  can 
know  how  much  moisture  to  give. 
It  can  only  be  determined  by  ob- 
servation during  the  hatch.  Some 
incubators  are  now  run  without 
Mftoisture. 


Brooder  Mouse. — How  many  chicks  would 
a  brooder  house  50  feet  long  and  12  feet  wide 
*ecommodate  ?  Could  I  heat  it  with  a 
stove? 

It  may  hold  500  if  divided  into  10 
apartments  of  5  feet  by  8,  leaving  a 
3  foot  walk  on  the  north  side.  That 
would  give  you  ten  brooders  which 
would  accommodate  50  chicks  each. 
You  would  have  a  stove  with  a 
water  jacket  and  outflow  and  return 
pipes  for  the  hot  water,  as  an  or- 
dinary stove  will  not  answer.  You 
should  have  the  heat  where  it  keeps 
the  chicks  warm  and  hot  water  pipes 
are  excellent. 


Temperature  for  Batching.— Will  eggs 
hatcb  with  a  constant  temperature  of  100  to 
102  degrees  ? 

It  is  rather  low,  as  the  hatch  will 
be  delayed  and  the  chicks  weakened 
somewhat.  The  nearer  the  temper- 
ature is  kept  to  103  degrees  th© 
better. 


Ruffled  Feathers  — What  is  the  cause  of 
incubator  chicks  being  ruffled  in  feathers  f 
Some  act  as  if  benumbed,  stretch  out  their 
necks,  and  lay  down  ? 

May  be  due  to  several  causes — bot- 
tom heat,  lice,  dampness  or  insuffi- 
cient heat  in  brooder,  as  a  rule  th« 
lack  of  warmth  being  the  cause. 

Moisture. — If  I  keep  a  pan  of  water  in  my 
incubator  and  wet  sponges  under  the  egg- 
drawer,  (w^hich  has  a  cloth  bottom)  is  there 
any  need  of  keeping  wet  sponges  in  with  th» 
eggs? 

Sponges  are  sufficient  without  th» 
water  pans.  Eggs  really  need  little 
or  no   moisture    during   incubation, 

Wh^n  to  Begin. — How  early  can  I  start  an 
incubator,  and  will  I  have  to  keep  it  where 
it  won't  freeze,  or  would  it  be  better  to  let 
the  hens  set  and  take  care  of  the  chicks  that 
early  ? 

October  is  usually  the  time  to 
begin.  It  should  be  in  a  place  of 
moderate  temperature.  You  cannot 
use  hens  that  early,  as  they  may 
not  be  broody. 


Too  High  Temperature. — If  eggs  get  too 
hot  in  an  incubator,  should  they  be  sprinkled 
with  warm  water  to  cool  them  7  Are  eggs 
roasted  if  the  heat  reaches  110  degrees  ? 

A  temperature  of  110  degrees  is 
not  necessarily  fatal  unless  continued 
for  too  long  a  time.  Oool  the  eggs 
by  simply  leaving  the  egg  drawer 
open. 


Randling  — Does  it  do  harm  to  handle  the 
eggs,  such  as  testingjthem,  or  changing  them 
from  one  machine  to  another  after  they  have 
been  in  the  incubator  three  days  7 

No.  Not  if  they  are  handled  care- 
fully and  not  exposed  to  cold  air  too 
long.  In  testing  esrgs  in  a  cool  room 
it  is  well  to  warm  a  couple  of  blank- 
ets folded  to  be  a  little  larger  than 
the  egg  tray.  Cover  the  untested 
eggs  with  one  warm  blanket  and 
spread  the  other  over  another  tray 
and  slip  the  eggs  under  as  fast  as 
tested.  In  this  way  chilling  the 
eggs  can  be  avoided. 


32 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


RILES  ON  RAISING  BROILERS. 


1.  If  the  chicks  do  not  come  out 
of  the  eggs  until  the  22d  day,  or 
longer,  it  indicates  that  the  tempora- 
ture  of  the  egg  drawer  was  too  low. 
They  should  begin  to  pip  on  the 
twentieth  day. 

2.  If  they  begin  to  come  out  on 
the  eighteenth  day,  it  indicates  that 
the  average  temperature  was  too 
high. 

3.  If  the  chicks  come  out  weak, 
it  indicates  either  too  high  or  too 
low  temperature,  or  that  the  eggs 
were  from  immature  pullets  or  over 
fat  hens. 

4.  Give  no  feed  for  thirty-six 
hours  after  the  chicks    are    hatched. 

5.  They  should  then  be  fed  every 
two  hours  until  one  week  old.  After 
that  time  feed  them  four  times  a 
day  until  a  month  old,    when    three 

times  a  day  will  suffice. 

6.  Keep  a  little  box  of  ground 
charcoal,  one  of  clean  ground  bone, 
and  one  of  small  sharp  flint  before 
them,  with  plenty  of  coarse  sharp 
sand  on  the  floor.  Also  a  box  of 
ground  oyster  shells,  as  grit,  but  in 
recommending  these  substances,  it 
may  be  stated,  that  any  kind  of  sharp 
small  grit  will  answer. 

7.  The  first  feeding  may  be  of 
rolled  oats  (dried  slightly  on  the 
stove  if  the  weather  is  damp)  rubbed 
between  the  hands  to  crumble  it. 
The  rolled  (or  flake)  oats  are  ready 
prepared,  cooked,  and  can  be  had  of 
any  grocer,  being  the  prepared 
oatmeal  for  instantaneous  prepara- 
tion of  oatmeal  gruel.  Feed  them 
to  the  chicks  dry.  Stale  bread 
moistened  with  milk  may  also  be 
given. 

8.  On  the  third  day  after  begin- 
ning to  feed,  vary  the  food  by  giv- 
ing the  rolled  oats  one  meal,  and 
prepared  cake  the  next.  The  pre- 
pared cake  is  made  by  using  equal 
parts  of  bran  ground  corn  and  oats 
(corn  and  oats  are  usually  ground 
together)  and  middlings  (shipstuff), 
which  should  be  salted  to  season  it, 
intimately  mixed,  and  cooked  in  a 
pan  in  the  stove  oven.  Sift  the  corn 
and  oats  first,  and  feed  the  coarse 
parts  to  fowls.  If  fresh  milk  can 
be  had,  the  food  may  be  mixed  with 
it  before  cooking.  If  not,  use 
water.  Crumble  the  cake  fine 
when  feeding.     It  should  be  fed  dry. 


9.  Ground  meat  is  sometimes  used 
for  chicks,  but  results  show  that 
too  much  of  it  causes  bowel  disease. 
If  a  piece  of  lean  butcher's  meat  be 
cooked  to  pieces  (or  chopped  fine 
after  cooking),  and  fed  twice  a 
week,  it  will  be  sufficient.  A  gill 
of  linseed  meal  to  every  quart  of  the 
dry  mixture  (for  making  the  pre- 
pared cake)  given  once  a  week,  will 
be  beneficial. 

10.  After  the  first  week  any  kind 
of  feed,  such  as  mashed  potatoes, 
cooked  turnips,  crumbled  bread  of 
any  kind,  or  any  wholesome  feed, 
will  be  of  advantage. 

11.  When  ten  days  old,  the  rolled 
oats  may  be  omitted,  and  wheat  one 
day  and  cracked  corn  the  next  may 
be  used.  Begin  to  teach  chicks 
to  eat  wheat  and  cracked  corn  early 
by  sprinkling  a  little  on  the  floor 
(about  a  tablespoonful  daily)  after 
they  are  a  week  old. 

12.  Young  chicks  do  not  eat  much 
at  a  time,  but  they  eat  often.  Do 
not  omit  a  meal.  Feed  at  regular 
hours. 

13.  After  the  chicks  are  three 
weeks  old,  the  cake  may  be  omitted, 
the  feed  being  scalded  instead,  but 
the  quantity  of  bran  should  be 
reduced  one-£ialf. 

14.  Bran  is  indigestible  if  fed 
raw,  and  sometimes  causes  bowel 
disease,  but  if  cooked,  or  well 
scalded,  so  as  to  soften  it,  the  bran 
makes  good  feed  as  it  largely  abounds 
in  the  phosphates  being  the  best 
bone  forming  element  that  can  be 
given. 

15.  A  chick  must  not  be  even 
dampened.  Water  should  be  given 
in  a  manner  that  only  the  beak  of 
the  chick  can  become  wet.  The 
chicks  must  not  be  allowed  to  tread 
in  the    water.     Dampness    is   fatal. 

16.  A  young  chick  is  naked,  like 
a  babe  just  born,  the  down  being 
no  protection,  hence  everything 
depends  on  plenty  of  neat.  Better 
have  the  brooder  too  hot  than  too 
cold.  If  the  chicks  are  with  hens, 
they  must  have  a  warm,  light  place 
as  a  hen  cannot  raise  chicks  in  win- 
ter any  better  than  it  can  be  done 
artificially,  as  it  is  not  her  natural 
period  of  the  year  for  so  doing. 

17.  No  thermometer  is  needed  in 
the  brooder,  or  under  the  hen.  If 
the  chicks  crowd  together  especially 
at  night,  they  need  more  warmth. 
When  they  shove  their  heads  out  of 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


33 


the  •  sides  of  the  brooder,  or  from 
under  the  hen,  the  heat  is  just  right. 
Whenever  the  chicks  do  not  sleep 
near  the  edges  of  the  brooder,  but 
get  as  close  to  each  other  as  possible, 
give  more  heat. 

18.  When  the  chicks  show  signs 
of  leg  weakness,  have  clogging  of  the 
vent,  and  bov/el  disease  results,  there 
IS  a  lack  of  warmth  in  the  brooder, 
especially  at  night.  The  night  is 
when  the  chicks  meet  with  the 
greater  number  of  difficulties. 

19.  When  chickens  have  leg  weak- 
ness and  the  floor  of  the  brooder  is 
very  warm,  the  cause  is  too  much 
bottom  heat.  Bottom  heat  is  excel- 
lent for  chicks  until  they  are  a  week 
old,  but  after  that  time  there  should 
be  only  warmth  enough  on  the  floor 
to  not  have  the  floor  cold.  All 
warmth  should  come  over  the  chicks. 
They  feel  the  warmth  on  the  backs 
with  more  satisfaction  than  on  any 
other  portion  of  the  b(  dy. 

20.  When  the  chicks  have  good  ap- 
petites but  have  leg  weakness,  the 
chicks  moving  on  their  knees  but 
otherwise  appear  lively,  it  denotes 
rapid  growth,  and  is  not  nec.essarily 
fatal.  Follow  directions  in  No.  17 
above. 

21.  Feed  the  chicks  on  clean  sur- 
faces or  in  little  troughs,  never  leave 
food  to  ferment  Clean  off  the  brood 
ers  and  floors  daily.  Keep  dry  earth 
in  the  corner  of  the  brooder  house  for 
the  chicks  to  dust  in. 

22.  When  you  see  the  chicks  busy 
and  scratching,  it  is  a  sign  of  thrift. 

23.  A  single  night  may  ruin  all. 
Never  let  the  brooder  become  cold  for 
an  hour.  Once  the  chicks  get  chilled 
they  never  fully  recover. 

24.  When  the  chicks  seem  to  be 
continually  crying  it  means  more 
warmth  needed.  The  warmth  is 
more  important  than  the  food. 

25.  If  the  chicks  are  stupid, 
drowsy,  continually  cry,  or  have  flts 
look  on  the  heads  and  necks,  and 
under  the  wings  for  the  large  lice. 
Also  examine  for  little  red  mites. 

26.  Never  feed  raw  cornmeal  to 
very  young  chicks.  Crumbled  stale 
bread  is  always  good  for  them. 

27.  Clover  hay,  cut  very  fine,  and 
steeped  in  boiling  water  over  night, 
and  sprinkled  with  cornmeal  slight- 
ly, fed  three  times  a  week,  is  excel- 
lent, but  unless  it  is  exceedingly  fine 
the  chicks  cannot  eat  it.  One  of 
the  best  invigorators,  however,  is  the 


decotion  from  the  clover  (clover  tea), 
given  in  the  place  of  drinking  water 
occasionally,  but  it  must  be  fresh. 

28.  Drinking  water  in  winter 
should  be  tepid,  not  cold,  and  fresh 
and  clean. 

29.  Feed  very  early  in  the  morn- 
ing as  soon  as  the  chicks  come  out  of 
the  brooder.  Never  keep  them  wait- 
ing for  breakfast. 

30.  Milk  may  be  given,  but  should 
he  fresh,  and  the  residuum  carefully 
removed,  but  do  not  substitute  it  for 
water.  Give  water  to  the  chicks 
from  the  start.  Curds  may  be  given 
two  or  three  times  a  week.  Also  fresh 
buttermilk.  Milk,  however,  is  not 
necessary  where  it  is  difficult  to  pro- 
cure. 

31.  A  chick  should  weigh  a  pound 
when  five  weeks  old.  The  average 
is  a  pound  at  six  weeks  old.  It 
should  be  ready  for  market  when 
eight  weeks  old.  To  fatten  for  market 
give  plenty  of  wheat  and  cracked 
corn. 

32.  The  White  or  Brown  Leghorn 
male  crossed  with  Brahma,  Cochin,,, 
Wyandotte,  Langshan,  Dorking  or 
Plymouth  Rock  hens,  or  grades, 
make  excellent  broilers.  For  choice 
quality  broilers  use  Pit  Game  male 
ou  Dorking  hens.  The  Houdan 
crosses  on  large  hens,  produce  fine 
broilers.  The  Wyandotte  and  Ply- 
mouth Rock  males  are  excellent.  The 
best  results  in  hatching  are  when  the 
Leghorn  male  is  used. 

33.  Hatching  should  begin  in 
October  and  end  in  April  or  May. 
The  best  prices  are  obtained  in  April 
and  May. 

34.  It  costs  five  cents  in  food  to 
raise  one  pound  of  chick.  The  cost 
of  eggs,  labor,  building,  etc  ,  are 
extra.  The  heaviest  cost  is  in  the 
eggs  (which  are  high  in  winter)  ae 
they  often  fail  to  hatch. 

35.  Hens  are  better  than  pullets  for 
producing  broilers.  The  males 
should  not  be  less  than  ten  months 
old. 

36.  Eggs  from  molting  hens,  ins- 
mature  pullets,  or  from  hens  in  the 
yards  with  cocks  having  frosted 
combs,  chilled  eggs,  very  small  eggs, 
will  not  give  good  results. 

37.  In  a  majority  of  cases  the 
failure  is  due  to  the  eggs  and  not  to- 
the  incubator. 

38.  Read  these  rules  once  a  day 
until  you  can  repeat  them  from 
memory.  Then  keep  your  eyes  om 
the  chicks. 


34 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


POSNTS  IN  FAVOR  OF  THE  INCUBATOR  AND 
BROODER. 


1.  Ten  to  fifty  times  more  eggs 
<^an  be  hatched  by  one  machine,  in 
the  same  length  of  time,  than  by  one 
hen  ;  and  at  the  same  time,  require 
no  more  attention  than  the  hen. 

2.  It  is  an  easier  and  more  agree- 
able job  to  turn  the  eggs  and  fill  the 
lamp  daily,  of  an  incubator,  than  it 
is  to  lift  a  cross  and  fussy  hen  from 
the  nest,  feed  her  and  watch  thatishe 
returns  to  duty  at  the  proper  time. 

3.  An  incubator  will  not  trample 
on  and  break  the  eggs,  as  is  nearly 
always  the  case,  more  or  less  with  a 
sitting  hen. 

4  It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  keep 
lice  and  mites  from  attacking  and 
multiplyingon  the  sitting  hen,  which 
is,  to  say  the  least,  a  source  of  great 
annoyance  to  the  hen.  There  is  no 
chance  for  such  a  state  of  affairs  in 
an  incubator.  These  little  pests  won't 
germinate  and  grow  fat  on  ash  or  oak 
boards. 

5.  The  inclination  of  an  incubator 
to  become  broody  does  not  have  to 
be  consulted,  as  is  the  case  with  the 
hen.  Give  it  the  eggs,  light  the 
lamp,  and  the  machine  is  yourobedi 
ent  servant  for  as  long  a  period  as  its 
services  are  required. 

€  The  machine  will  not  become 
weak  or  emaciated  from  overwork; 
and  chicks  can  thus  be  hatched  out 
for  months  at  a  stretch. 

7.  There  is  more  pleasure  and  fewer 
vexatious  trials  in  operatng  an  in- 
cubator than  tliere  is  in  steering  to 
victory  an  obstinate  and  vicious  hen 


8.  Home  made  brooders  are  quite 
common,  and  a  person  with  a  fair  sup- 
ply of  ingenuity  can  construct  one 
that  will  answer  very  well  in  many 
respects.  It  is  a  dumb  but  perfect 
mother,  and  it  is  amusing  to  see  how 
tlie  young  chicks  take  to  it.  Some  of 
the  advantages  of  brooders  are : 

1.  Snug  and  secure  quarters  are 
ever  ready  for  the  young  chicks 
wlien  taken  from  the  incubator. 

2.  Two  hundred  chicks  can  be 
handled  and  cared  for  in  one-tenth 
the  time  it  would  require  were  they 
with  the  hens. 

3.  The  chicks  can  be  fed  more 
regularly  and  much  more  evenly, 
and  are  less  liable  to  disease  and 
accident;  and  raids  from  "vai'mints" 
and  reptiles  are  impossible. 

4.  The  chicks  can  be  kept  dry 
and  comfortable  at  all  times,  and 
this,  too,  with  one  fourth  the  atten- 
tion necessary  where  they  are 
running  w^ith  hens. 

5.  It  is  almost  impossible  for  lice 
and  mites  to  attack  the  chicks,  four 
there  is  no  cause  for  parasites  of 
this  nature  to  get  a  start. 

6.  Chicks  reared  in  this  way  be- 
come very  docile,  and  are  conse- 
quently much  easier  handled  when 
they  mature. 

7.  There  is  five  times  more 
pleasure  attached  to  rearing  chicks 
in  a  brooder  than  otherwise. 

8.  Everyone  who  raises  chicks 
should  have  a  brooder  whether  they 
have  an  incubator  or  not.  The 
chicks  can  be  taken  from  the  hens 
and  put  in  the  brooder  and  the  hens 
reset.  A  brooder  is  a  household 
necessity.     And  they  are  cheap. 


CilAPTER  VI. 


IM[iscella.n.eous  Xn.qLuix*ies* 


I/imber  JVecfc.— What  is  Limber  Neck? 
How  can  it  be  cured  ? 

This  is  an  affliction  native  to  the 
South.  The  birds  which  have  it  act 
as  though  they  were  drunk.  They 
reel,  twist  their  heads  about,  fall 
backwards,  stagger,  fall  down  and 
get  up,  eat  and  are  apparently  all 
right  for  a  little  while,  when  another 
spasm  will  seize  them.  Limber  neck 
is  the  St.  Vitus' dance  of  chickendom. 
Having  been  raised  where  this  ail- 
ment occasionally  appears,  the  writer 
of  this  never  heard  of  but  one 
remedy  said  to  be  efficient,  and  that 
is  a  pill  of  asafetida  the  size  of  a 
pea,  giving  night  and  morning, 
feeding  same  as  usual  Sometimes 
a  fowl  with  limber  neck  will  live  a 
month  or  more,  but  it  kills  them 
finally  if  not  relieved.  No  one 
knows  the  origin  or  cause  of  limber 
neck. 

Midge  on  EggShflls. — Will  you  please  tell 

me  what  causes  a  ridge  around  an  egg  shell? 

No  one   knows.     It  just  happens 

and  the  next  egg  the  hen  lays  will  be 

all  right 


Good  Match.— y\^h.a,%  is  considered  a  good 
hatch  from  13  eggs  ? 

One  more  than  half — hence  seven 
chicks  are  considered  |a  good  hatch 
from  13  eggs. 


White  on  Slack  Mitiorcas.— Do  Black 
Minoreas  have  any  white  on  them  ? 

When  very  young'  some  of  the 
down  is  white.  Adult  fowls  occa- 
sionally have  a  little  white  on  their 
l^lumage,  but  lose  it  at  molting  time. 


Mating  Dark  and  Light. — Which  is  best 
to  mate,  dark  roosters  and  light  hens,  or 
light  roosters  and  dark  hens,  both  for  looks 
and  profit?    They  are  Plymouth  Rock  fowls. 

The  light  males  and  medium  dark 
hens  are  usually  preferred. 


Matching  Banfama.—'When  should  Ban- 
tams be  hatched  ? 

August  should  be  the  last  month. 
Hatch  Bantams  from  March  till 
August.  A  secret  in  the  breeding 
of  this  variety  of  birds  is  to  keep 
them  down  in  size.  If  got  out  early 
in  the  season,  they  grow  finely  all 
summer,  and  may  get  some  ounces 
heavier  at  maturity,  of  either  sex, 
than  if  bred  later  in  the  season. 


Shipping  Coojp*.— How  many  inches  wide, 
long  and  high  should  a  shipping  coop  be  for 
one  or  two  fowls  ? 

That  depends  upon  the  size  of  the 
fowls.  We  advise  to  give  about  a 
square  foot  of  floor  sp  ice  to  each, 
when  shipping  a  number.  For 
instance,  a  coop  2  feet  wide  by  3  feet 
long,  contains  six  square  feet,  and 
will  do  very  well  for  six  fowls  as 
Plymouth  Rocks  or  Wyandottes; 
would  carry  eight  or  ten  Leghorns 
or  Ham  burgs ;  or  four  or  five  Cochins 
or  Brahmas.  For  height:— they 
should  be  high  enough  to  allow  the 
birds  to  stand  erect  without  touch- 
ing the  top.  Many  breeders  make  a 
mistake  in  this  and  ship  birds,  espec- 
ially cockerels,  in  too  low  coops. 


Capons. — How  should  capons  be  fed  In  the 
winter  months?  Do  they  need  outside  yards? 
How  many  can  be  kept  in  a  building  15x30 
feet  ?  How  much  room  will  I  need  to  winter 
200? 

Simply  keep  them  growing.  Feed 
on  any  food  they  will  eat,  but  do  not 
get  themi  too  fat  until  near  time  for 
selling.  A  very  small  yard  will 
answer — just  enough  to  allow  of 
some  outdoor  air  and  exercise. 
About  100  can  be  kept  in  that  size 
building,  but  they  may  be  crowded 
more  if  building  is  kept  clean  and 
the  weather  is  cold.  It  is  usual  to 
allow  four  square  feet  for  each  bird, 
or  800  square  feet  for  200  birds. 


36 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


Cross  Sreeding. — What  breed  should  be 
crossed  on  White  Leghorn  hens  to  produce  a 
good  laying  fowl  ?  Would  Plymouth  Rocks 
do  ?  What  color  would  the  cross  be,  and 
would  they  be  non-sitters  ? 

Tou  would  find  some  difQculty  in 
crossing  up  a  small  variety  like  the 
White  Leghorns  from  the  female 
side.  The  color  would  probably  be 
mixed,  and  they  would  be  sitters, 
the  crossing  of  two  non-sitting  varie- 
ties will  produce  sitters,  the  act  of 
crossing  seeming  to  develop  that 
instinct,  presumably  latent  until 
stimulated  into  activity  by  the  cross 
breeding.  Otherwise  there  is  no 
diflSculty  in  affecting  a  cross.  The 
best  cross  for  eggs  is  a  Brown  Leg- 
horn male  with  Partridge  Cochin 
hen.  Crosses  do  not  equal  pure 
breeds. 

Egg  Tester. — How  can  I  make  a  good  egg 
tester  ? 

To  make  an  egg  tester  to  use  with  a 
common  lamp,  take  a  pasteboard 
box  about  seven  inches  long  and  six 
inches  wide  and  six  inches  deep. 
Cut  a  hole  in  the  bottom  big  enough 
to  fit  the  large  part  of  a  lamp 
chimney  through.  Next  cut  a  hole 
about  the  shape  of  an  egg,  but 
rather  smaller,  in  one  end  so  that  it 
will  be  opposite  to  the  lamp  flame 
when  the  tester  is  slipped  over  the 
chimney.  Cover  the  box  outside 
with  any  dull,  black  cloth,  so  that 
no  light  can  get  through,'  and  you 
are  ready  for  business.  Light  the 
lamp,  place  the  tester  in  position, 
and  the  egg  over  the  oval  opening 
in  the  side.  Turn  it  gently  as  you 
look,  and  its  condition  will  be  clearly 
exposed  to  view. 


Iiime,  Gravel,  Oyster  Shells  .—Is  lime  and 
gravel  as  good  as  oyster  shells  ? 

Grravel,  sea  shells,  or  hard  dry  bone 
will  answer.  Shells  serve  more  as 
grit  than  any  other  purpose. 


Bolton  Orays  —Will  you  please  say  if  there 
is  such  a  fowl  as  Bolton  Grays  ? 

The  old  Bolton  Grays  have  now 
become  the  Silver  Penciled  and 
Silver  Spangled  Hamburgs. 


White  Minor cas.—VfiW  you  please  give 
the  origin  of  the  Wliite  Minorcas  ? 

They  are  of  Spanish  origin,  coming 
first  from  the  island  of  Minorca, 
from  which  they  derived  the  name. 


Value  of  Alfalfa. — How  does  alfalfa 
compare  with  clover  as  an  egg  producing 
food  ? 

It  is  fully  equal  to  clover  in  every 
respect. 

Fattening  Cocher els— How  do  you  fatten 
cockerels  from  late  hatch, Plymouth  Rocks? 
Feed  on  plenty  of  corn  with  soft 
feed  three  times  a  day. 


A  Good  Cross. — What  do  you  think  -of 
crossing  Plymouth  Rocks  with  Games,  and 
are  they  as  good  as  the  pure  bred  Plymouth 
Rocks  ? 

The  cross  of  Indian  game  and  Ply- 
mouth Rock  will  produce  a  grand 
table  fowl,  and  cannot  be  surpassed. 


Highest  Egg  Record. — Please  give  me  the 
highest  egg  record  for  a  hen  in  one  year? 

In  England  280  is  claimed,  but  we 
have  no  records,  and  cannot  state. 
Be  satisfied  with  150  or  even  100. 


Pulling  the  Primaries, — If  I  pull  the  pri- 
mary feathers  out  of  fowls'  wings,  will  they 
grow  in  again  all  right  ? 

If  pulled  they  begin  to  grow  at 
once.  If  cut  they  do  not  renew 
until  the  bird  molts. 


Chicks  from  Stnall  Eggs.— Will  birds 
hatched  from  the  small  eggs  be  as  large  as 
those  from  large  ones  produced  by  another 
hen? 

Yes,  as  small  eggs  do  not  mean 
that  a  hen  will  not  lay  them  larger, 
but  it  is  safer  to  breed  from  hens 
that  lay  large  eggs  uniformly. 


Sone. — I  am  a  beginner  and  want  to  ask  if 
burnt  bone  is  as  good  as  raw  bone. 

Burning  the  bone  causes  a  loss  of 
the  nitrogen,  (cartilage,  meat,  etc.) 
but  the  lime  and  phosphates  remain. 
The  raw  bone  is  better. 


The  Standard.— Wh&t  is  the  book  ealled 
"  The  standard  ?  " 

It  is  a  volume  prepared  by  a 
society  of  poultrymen  known  as 
"The  American  Poultry  Associa- 
tion "  Its  title  is  ^'T7ie  American 
Standard  of  Perfection."  It  is  not 
a  treatise  on  poultry  culture,  but 
merely  describes,  point  by  point, 
each  recognized  variety  of  fowls.  It's 
cost  is  $1.00. 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


37 


Ahout  the  Polish.— Does  a  pure  White 
Crested  Black  Polish  get  white  feathers 
through  the  body  when  it  is  two  or  three 
years  old? 

The  color  should  be  black  with  no 
white  through  the  body;  but  it 
often  happens  that  aged  birds  show 
white  feathers,  as  the  tendency  is  to 
grow  lighter  with  age. 


Xeghorn  Combs, — How  many  points  must 
any  variety  of  Leghorn  hens  have  on  their 
combs,  provided  there  are  no  side  sprigs, 
or  is  it  immaterial  ? 

Five  or  six — five  preferred,  for  all 
varieties  of  Leghorns.  We  presume 
the  same  for  the  Browns,  but  the 
standard  does  not  specify  number. 


Eating  Ptimphin  Seeds. — How  do  you  ac- 
count for  fowls  eating  pumpkin  seeds, 
getting  giddy  or  drunk,  and  ultimately 
dying  in  that  condition  ? 

That  they  are  injurious  has  been 
demonstrated,  but  the  cause  is  un- 
known, due  probably  to  some  active 
principle  in  the  seeds. 


Sest  Chick  Feed.— Let  me  know  what  to 
feed  to  young  chicks  of  the  breeds  that 
feather  fast,  to  prevent  drooping  of  wings 
and  in  many  instances  dying? 

Begin  with  pin  head  oat  meal  for 
very  young  chicks.  When  they 
begin  to  feather  keep  them  warm, 
feed  lour  times  a  day,  and  give  oat 
meal,  wheat  and  corn  meal,  often. 


Jiuy  or  Jtaise. — Isn't  it  cheaper  and  better 
for  one  lacking  somewhat  in  room,  to  buy 
pullets  at  ten  cents  a  pound  for  laying  stock 
than  to  raise  them  ? 

Raise  them  always.  By  raising 
them  you  can  select  the  breed  pre- 
ferred, which  is  very  important. 


Excellent  Cross— Please  tell  me  what  you 
think  of  a  cross  between  White  Leghorn  and 
Light  Brahma?  What  would  be  the  ad- 
vantage of  such  a  cross,  and  should  I  use  a 
Leghorn  cockerel  on  Brahma  hens,  or  vice 
versa  ? 

The  cross  produces  a  bird  larger 
than  the  Leghorn,  and  more  active 
than  the  Brahma,  the  Leghorn  pre- 
dominating. Use  the  Leghorn  male. 
The  cross  is  an  excellent  one.  But 
why  use  a  cross  ? 


Egg  Shells  f»r  Eowls. — Are  egg  shells 
good  for  fowls  in  winter  ? 

Yes,  egg  shells  are  excellent  for 
fowls  at  any  time,  but  should  be 
smashed  fine  so  as  to  be  readily 
eaten.  Otherwise  they  may  cause 
the  fowls  to  eat  their  eggs. 


Ifumber  of  Males,  Feed,  Etc. — Will  one 
male  do  with  25  pullets  ?  Is  good  wheat  at 
$1.00,  cheap  feed  ?  How  much  wheat  will  25 
hens  need  at  a  meal  ? 

Two  males  should  be  used  if  on  a 
range.  One  quart  of  wheat,  with 
bone  and  clover  is  sufficient.  See 
articles  on  "Feeding,"  elsewhere  in 
this  book. 

Laying  ajter  Molting — What  time  do 
hens  generally  begin  laying  after  molting  ? 

That  depends  upon  how  they  have 
been  fed  previously.  If  fed  for  eggs, 
they  will  take  but  a  short  recess  for 
molting,  sometimes  none  at  all.  If 
the  system  is  exhausted,  the  molt 
(producing  a  new  suit  of  clothes)  is  a 
heavy  drain  upon  a  hen,  and  she 
may  not  get  built  up  to  laying  vigor 
again  before  spring. 

Three  Classes— According  to  utility,  how 
should  the  various  breeds  be  classified  ? 

The  utility  of  the  breeds  can  be  di- 
vided into  three  classes,  as  follows: 
For  e^g;  farming — Leghorns,  Minor- 
cas,  Hamburgs,  Andalusians,  An- 
conas,  Spanish  and  Houdans.  Se- 
cond. For  table  birds  (roasters) — 
Dorkings  and  Games.  For  market, 
Brahmas,  Cochins,  Plymouth  Rocks, 
Wyandottes,  Langshans  and  White 
Wonders. 


A.  Durable  WhiteivasJi. — Will  you  give  a 
recipe  for  a  durable  whitewash  ? 

One  half  bushel  of  good  lime,  five 
pounds  rock  salt,  dissolve;  one-half 
pound  of  whiting,  four  pounds 
ground  rice  boiled  to  a  thin  paste; 
one-half  pound  clean  grease.  Slake 
the  lime  in  a  tight  box  or  barrel  with 
hot  water,  keeping  the  box  covered 
that  the  steam  may  not  escape. 
Slake  to  the  consistency  of  thick 
cream.  Thin  it  when  used,  so  that 
it  will  flow  freely  from  the  brush. 
If  put  on  too  thick  it  will  flake  off 
more  or  less  when  dry.  The  above 
is  for  outside  work.  For  indoors 
slake  the  lime  as  above  with  hot 
water,  omitting  the  salt,  grease  and 
rice.  Instead  of  thinning  the  creamy 
solution  with  water,  use  skim  milk. 


38 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


Pullets  for  Broilers. — Would  you  recom- 
mend me  to  get  last  year's  hens,  or  pullets  of 
this  year,  to  hatch  broilers,  and  for  winter 
eggs? 

Pullets  (or  a  male)  hatched  not  later 
than  April,  would  probably  answer, 
but  we  think  stock  over  one  year 
old  better. 

Broody  JETews.— What  is  the  best  method 
of  breaking  up  broody  hens  ? 

Shut  them  ia  a  pen  by  themselves, 
away  from  nests,  two  or  three  days. 
If  you  have  a  spare  cock,  or  lively 
young  cockerel,  put  him  in  with 
them. 

Eoecrement  on  Chicks — What  is  the  cause 
of  the  excrement  of  incubator-hatched 
chicks  hanging  on  posteriors  and  hardening 
there  ? 

It  is  the  result  of  bowel  disease,  and 
may  be  noticed  on  chicks  with  hens 
also.  Remove  it  and  anoint  parts 
with  a  few  drops  of  sweet  oil. 


Profit  in  Bantams. — Do  you  consider  the 
raising  of  Bantams  at  all  profitable  ?  Are 
their  eggs  salable  ? 

Being  small,  the  eggs  are  not 
always  salable,  but  in  proportion  to 
cost  of  keep,  (and  size  of  eggs  in  p'-o- 
portion  to  size  of  fowl),  they  are 
more  profitable  for  home  use  than 
any  other  breed. 


Bow  Old. — Is  there  any  way  to  tell  the 
difference  in  the  Tage  of  a  one-year  old  hen 
and  a  two-year-old  hen  ? 

The  hen  has  a  more  fully  developed 
body,  the  legs  are  rougher,  and  some 
of  them  have  spurs  quite  long.  The 
older  the  hen  the  more  likely  the 
comb  and  wattles  are  rough  or  in- 
jured, while  the  general  plumage  is 
not  as  clear  and  bright  as  that  of  a 
young  hen,  nor  the  older  hens  as 
active  or  sprightly. 


Describe  Partridge  Cochins. — Will  you 
please  give  me  a  description  of  Partridge 
Cochins  ?  What  should  be  the  color  of  the 
plumage.^earlobes,  legs,  and  should  the  leg 
and  middle  toe  be  covered  with  feathers  in 
order  to  be  full  blood  ? 

Head  red,  comb  single,  earlobes 
red,  neck  red  with  black  stripe  down 
middle  of  feather,  back  same,  breast 
black,  tail  black,  legs  yellow  and 
feathered  on  outside  to  end  of  outer 
toe — middle  toe  feathered. 


Toasted  Corn. — I  am  feeding  corn  toasted, 
every  other  night ;  will  that  made  hens  lay  ? 

Yes,  provided  you  give  a  variety  of 
feed  also. 


Fit  for  Service. — At  what  age  is  a  healthy 

Leghorn  cockerel  iit  for  breeding  purposes  ? 

A  Leghorn  cockerel  matures  early. 

He  is  serviceable  when  six  months 

old. 


Botv  to  Ship  Broilers. — Please  give  the 
best  way  to  prepare  and  ship  broilers  to  New 
York  in  winter  and  summer — 1000  miles. 

Simply  dry  pick  them,  removing 
only  the  feathers,  pack  in  barrels, 
and  send  by  express.  In  summer  it 
is  best  not  to  ship  so  far. 


Zate  in  Maturing.— I  have  two  Wyandot 
cockerels.  They  are  over  five  months  old 
and  have  never  crowed.  They  are  healthy, 
vigorous  birds.  What  is  the  matter  with 
them  ?    Will  they  do  to  breed  from  ? 

They  are  only  slow  in  maturing, 
and  will  probably  be  of  large  size. 
They  will  crow  soon  enough,  and 
can  be  used  for  breeding  purposes. 


The  Dunghills.— What  is  the  average 
number  of  eggs  laid  by  a  dunghill  fowl  in  a 
year,  with  reasonable  good  care  and  feed  ? 

No  two  dunghills  are  alike,  hence 
there  are  a  thousand,  (or  more)  kinds 
of  dunghills.  They  will  sometimes 
do  well  with  good  care,  but  seldom 
exceed  80  or  100  eggs  per  year. 


Plaster  and  Manure.— Vfliich  is  the  best 
way  to  save  poultry  manure?  Will  it  pay  to 
buy  land  plaster  to  put  under  the  roosts  ? 
I  have  board  platforms  under  the  roosts  and 
scatter  lime  and  dust,  clean  every  few  days 
and  pack  in  barrels.  Will  it  do  to  keep  the 
barrel  out  of  doors  well  covered  with  boards? 
Plaster  is  excellent  and  cheap. 
Omit  the  lime,  as  it  causes  loss  of 
ammonia.  Otherwise  your  method 
is  correct.  Manure  should  be  kept 
dry,  but  the  boards  will  answer  if 
they  do  not  admit  moisture.  Sotaie 
prefer  to  keep  it  moist  with  soap- 
suds. 


Combs  of  Brotvn  ZiCghorns. — Please  de- 
scribe the  combs  of  Single-Combed  Brown 
Leghorns,  male  and  female,  for  breeders? 

Comb  is  single;  has  five  points. 
Comb  of  male  should  be  erect,  and 
that  of  the  female  should  droop  to 
one  side. 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


39 


Carbolic  Acid.— Is  carbolic  acid  good  in 
the  water  for  chickens  ? 

Carbolic  acid  is  good  for  some  pur- 
poses, but  should  not  be  used  in  the 
water. 


^6oMtJ5roifer*.— In  crossing  sitting  and 
non  sitting  breeds,  which  would  you  use  for 
the  top  cross?  Also,  what  variety  would 
you  breed  for  very  early  broilers  ? 

Always  use  a  male  from  the  non- 
sitting  breed.  Small  males  with 
large  hens  is  the  rule. 

Crossing  for  JEggs. — I  have  Single  Comb 
Brown  Leghorn  hens,  and  would  like  to  cross 
them  to  improve  their  egg  production  and 
size.  How  do  you  think  it  would  do  to  use 
a  silver  Spangled  Hamburg  or  Black  Minorca 
cock? 

Nothing  is  gained  by  crossing,  as 
it  destroys  the  good  qualities  of  both 
parents.  You  cannot  improve  the 
egg  production  of  Leghorns  by 
crossing. 


White  Blaeli  Spanish.— I  have  a  W.  F 
Black  Spanish  hen  that  about  the  first  of  De- 
cember began  changing  color,  molting  her 
black  feathers  and  growing  white  ones, until 
now  she  is  half  white.    Can  jou  explain  it  ? 

l^o,  it  is  simply  a  freak  of  nature. 

l>ubbing. — Will  you  explain  the  operation 
of  "dubbing?" 

The  operation  of  dubbing  is  easily 
performed.  The  right  age  is  when 
the  chicks  are  from  ten  to  twelve 
weeks  old,  or  when  the  comb  has 
made  a  good  start  to  grow  out.  A 
sharp  pair  of  shears  is  the  best 
instrument  to  use;  trim  the  comb 
close  to  the  head  with  one  clip  of  the 
shears,  and  one  clip  for  each  wattle, 
and  it  is  done  The  operation  should 
be  performed  in  the  evening,  after 
the  fowls  have  gone  to  roost,  as  then 
the  few  drops  of  blood  drawn  will 
dry  up,  and  the  cuts  be  seared  over 
before  morning.  Use  no  hot  iron, 
grease,  or  wash  of  any  kind,  and  the 
fowls  will  go  about  their  business 
the  next  day,  as  though  nothing  had 
happened.  We  do  not  approve  of 
the  practice,  as  it  is  cruel. 


Every  Day  JLayera. — What  breed  of  hens 
will  lay  every  day?  Some  think  that 
Brahmas  crossed  with  Plymouth  Rocks  will 
lay  every  day,  and  chickens  come  early  also. 

There  is  no  breed  of  fowls  that  will 
lay  every  day.  If  one  gets  them  to 
lay  200  eggs  a  piece  in  a  year  he  does 
exceedingly  well. 


To  Dilute  Carbolic  JLcid.— What  will  cut 
crude  carbolic  acid  so  it  can  be  diluted  or 
make  it  into  a  powder  similar  to  what  is  sold 
at  the  stores?  What  is  understood  by  crude 
petroleum  and  where  can  it  be  gotten  ? 

Dissolve  in  warm  water  and  use  the 
water  for  slaking  lime.  Crude  petro- 
leum is  the  unrefined  article,  and 
should  be  obtained  at  anv  drug  store. 


Chicks  Die  in  the  Shell. — Why  do  chicks 
die  in  the  shell  after  pipping,  and  just  before 
time  to  come  out  ? 

No  one  knows  why  chicks  die  in 
the  shell.  There  are  many  theories, 
but  no  one  knows. 


JECoiv  to  Kill  Fowls. — Is  there  any  better 
way  of  killing  fowls  for  the  table  than  by  cut- 
ting off  their  heads  ? 

Cutting  off  the  head  insures 
thorough  bleeding  for  one  thing, 
which  cutting  across  the  roof  of  the 
mouth  does  not  nurely  do,  and  this 
thorough  bleeding  is  a  very  im- 
portant part  of  the  wholesomeness 
of  the  meat.  If  the  severed  neck  is 
unsightly,  the  skin  can  be  drawn 
over  the  end  and  tied  with  a  bit  of 
cord,  concealing  the  ragged  neck. 


Chemistry  of  Egg  Shells.— Of  what  is  the 
shell  of  eggs  composed  ? 

A  writer  in  Popular  Science 
Monthly  says:  "The  shell  proper  of 
an  egg  is  made  up  mostly  of  earthy 
materials.  The  proportions  vary 
according  to  the  food  of  the  bird, 
but  90  to  97  per  cent  is  carbonate 
of  lime.  The  remainder  is  composed 
of  from  two  to  five  per  cent,  of 
animal  matter  and  from  one  to  five 
per  cent,  of  phosphate  of  lime  and 
magnesia.  Now,  some  one  asks, 
where  does  the  hen  procure  the  car- 
bonate of  lime  with  which  to  form 
the  shell  ?  If  we  confine  fowls  in  a^ 
room  and  feed  them  with  any  of  the 
cereal  grains,  excluding  all  sand, 
dust,  or  earthy  matter,  they  will  ga 
on  for  a  time  and  lay  eggs,  each  one 
having  a  perfect  shell,  made  up  of 
the  same  calcareous  elements.  Vau- 
quelin  shut  up  a  hen  for  ten  days 
and  fed  her  exclusively  upon  oats, 
of  which  she  consumed  7474  grains 
in  weight.  During  this  time  four 
etjgs  were  laid,  which  weighed 
nearly  409  grains;  of  this  amount 
276  grains  were  carbonate  of  lime, 
17i  grains  phosphate  of  lime  and  10 
grains  gluten.  But  there  is  only  a 
little  carbonate  of  lime  in  oats. 


40 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


Ziight  TolJes. — Why  is  it  that  the  yolks  of 
the  eggs  from  my  hens  are  light  in  color 
instead  of  yellow  ? 

It  is  due  to  lack  of  coloring  matter 
in  the  food,  and  happens  during  the 
cold  season.  In  summer  when  grass 
is  plentiful,  the  color  will  be  deeper. 
The  light  color  is  no  indication  that 
the  eggs  are  lacking  in  quality. 

Value  of  S^erosene. — Give  us  your  esti- 
mate on  the  value  of  kerosene  in  the  poultry 
yard. 

The  many  uses  that  kerosene  may 
be  put  to  in  the  poultry  yard  make 
it  an  indispensible  article.  For 
painting  the  inside  of  nest  boxes  for 
sitting  hens  there  is  nothing  equal  to 
it,  as  it  surely  kills  all  vermin  with 
which  it  comes  in  contact,  and  pre- 
vents other  vermin  entering  the 
nest  until  it  is  entirely  evaporated, 
which,  if  the  crude  oil  is  used,  will 
give  the  hen  amply  time  to  hatch 
her  brood.  A  few  drops  in  the 
drinking  water  occasionally  has  a 
good  effect  upon  the  general  health 
of  the  flock,  and  for  colds  or  roup 
there  is  nothing  better,  if  carefully 
applied. 

Crude  CnrboHc  Acid. — I  wish  to  inquire 
about  carbolic  acid.  I  suppose  it  can  be 
bought  in  powder,  in  crystals  and  in  solution. 
Which  is  the  best  way  to  buy  it?  How 
sliould  the  powder  or  crystals  be  dissolved? 
What  proportion  of  water  ?  I  want  to  use  it 
aboiit  the  hennery.  "  One  tablespoonful  of 
carbolic  acid  to  a  quart  of  slacked  lime." 
Does  this  mean  tie  acid  in  powder  or  solu- 
tion ?  About  how  much  should  I  pay  for  it 
by  the  pound  ? 

It  is  sold  in  all  conditions,  crystal- 
ized  and  crude.  Also  a  solution. 
The  crude  acid  is  the  kind  used. 
The  liquid  is  of  varying  strength. 
An  ounce  of  the  crude  dissolved  in 
a  pint  of  water  answers  for  ordinary 
purposes.  A  tablespoonful  of  a 
solution  of  carbolic  acid  to  a  quart 
of  lime  will  make  the  carbonate  of 
lime.  The  crystalized  is  §1.00  per 
pound,  the  liquid  (saturated  sola 
tion)  is  60  cents  per  pound.  Crude 
from  20  to  40  cents. 


Fron-en  Combs.— Are  hons  with  frozen 
combs  as  good  as  tliose  not  so  injured  ? 

If  the  combs  heal  they  are  not  in- 
,tured  as  layers.  It  is  only  during 
the  time  the  comb  is  sore  that  they 
will  not  lay.  A  frozen  comb  is 
always  unsightly. 


Space  per  Fowl. — How  many  square  feet 
to  each  fowl  should  be  allowed  ? 

The  rule  is  to  allow  a  house  5  xlO 
feet  for  ten  hens,  which  gives  each 
hen  5  square  feet.  In  the  winter  a 
number  of  fowls  may  be  together. 
The  space  applies  to  the  square  feet 
on  the  floor  of  the  house  only.  The 
yard  should  be  ten  times  as  large  as 
house  if  possible. 


Netv  Blood, — J'uly  Match. — 1.  Would  it 
injure  the  progeny,  in  line  markings  and  egg 
production,  to  cross  a  cock  of  a  particular 
strain  on  hens  of  another  strain,  all  being  of 
the  same  breed?  2.  Would  Leghorn  chicks, 
hatched  in  July,  be  matured  in  December, 
About  what  month  would  their  eggs  be 
fertile? 

1.  It  would  be  an  advantage  to  do 
so  if  careful  selection  was  made.  Of 
course,  to  preserve  markings  the 
parents  must  be  well  marked.  3. 
Leghorn  pullets  often  begin  to  lay 
when  five  months  old,  hence  your 
pullets  may  begin  in  December,  but 
the  eggs  may  not  all  be  fertile. 


Preserving  Qreen  Food  for  the  Wititer, — 

How  can  a  silo  be  made  foi  ensilage  for  fowls? 

A  silo  is  simply  a  strong,  air-tight 
box,  pit  or  hogshead — in  fact,  any- 
thing that  will  answer  the  purpose — 
and  ensilage  is  green  food  such  as 
grass,  vegetable  tops,  growing  corn 
or  any  substance  that  will  be  relished 
by  poultry.  For  poultry,  a  strong 
barrel  or  hogshead  will  answer.  The 
green  food  should  not  be  cut  until  it 
is  near  maturity,  or  it  will  be  largely 
composed  of  water.  If  cut  just  be- 
fore ripening,  the  elements  intended 
for  the  formation  of  seeds  will  be 
arrested  in  the  stalks,  and  ensilage 
will  be  more  nutritious.  Pass  the 
material  through  a  cutter  to  get  it 
into  half  inch  lengths.  Pack  it  close 
and  tight  in  the  barrel,  and  place 
the  head  of  the  barrel  on  the 
ensilage  The  head  should  be  just 
small  enough  to  go  down  into  the 
barrel.  On  the  barrel-head  place 
stones,  or  any  kind  of  weight,  so  that 
when  the  contents  of  the  barrel  are 
compressed  and  sink,  the  head  of 
the  barrel  will  sink  with  it.  As  the 
contents  go  down,  add  more  ensilage 
until  the  barrel  is  full.  The  heavy 
pressure  will  exclude  the  air,  and  the 
contents  can  be  kept  in  an  excellent 
state  of  preservation. 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


41 


Temperature  for  BoM«e.— Should  a  chick- 
en house  be  warm  enough  so  it  will  not 
freeze  for  hens  to  lay  well,  and  should  they 
be  allowed  to  run,  or  shut  up  in  pens  ? 

About  40  degrees  above  zero  is  not 
too  cold.  The  hens  may  be  allowed 
to  run  out  at  will,  as  they  will  be 
governed  by  instinct,  but  should  be 
kept  shut  up  on  raw,  damp  days. 

Net  Profit  per  ffen.— What  is  the  net 
profit  to  be  reasonably  expected  per  hen? 

Experiments  made  in  different  sec 
tions  show  that  the  cost  of  feeding  a 
hen  one  year  is  about  $1,  and  that 
the  profit  is  about  the  same,  the 
gross  receipts  from  the  hen  being 
about  |2  a  year.  Of  course^  this 
varies  according  to  the  breed,  cost 
of  food  and  location  being  more  and 
sometimes  less  ;  but  it  is  accepted 
that  |1  pays  the  cost  and  $1  profit  is 
made  from  each  hen. 


JPreserving  tJie  Droppings. --What  is  the 

most  practical  way  of  keeping  the  droppings 
until  they  can  be  applied  to  the  soil '? 

The  best  way  to  preserve  them  is 
to  clean  out  the  house  every  alter- 
nate day.  Mix  one  bushel  dry  earth, 
one  bushel  droppings,  and  half  a 
peck  of  kainit  (crude  German  potash 
salts)  together,  and  put  away  in  a  dry 
place.  Kainit  can  be  bought  by  the 
bag  at  any  fertilizer  store,  and  is  not 
only  cheap,  but  of  itself  a  good 
potash  fertilizer.  In  the  mixture  it 
forms  sulphates,  and  fixes  the 
ammonia.  If  it  cannot  be  procured, 
use  dry  land  plaster  instead,  but 
kainit  is  much  better.  Keep  the 
mixture  moist. 


Mixing  the  Breed.— 1  have  some  Lang- 
shans  that  have  run  with  a  mixed  flock.  I 
want  to  mate  them  with  a  Langshan  cock; 
how  long  before  I  can  have  pure  eggs? 

About  ten  days  is  allowed,  but  a 
month  is  safer. 

Ijitter  in  Brooder  JBwn«.— What  should 
be  used  f©r  litter  in  brooders  and  runs,  and 
is  sawdust  objectionable? 

Do  not  use  sawdust,  as  chicks  will 
sometimes  fill  their  crops  with  saw- 
dust. For  very  small  chicks,  bran  is 
more  suitable. 


Changing  Males.— \s  it  necessary  to 
change  male  birds,  and  how  often  ? 

Keep  them  several  seasons  if 
vigorous.  Do  not  change  oftener 
than  necessary  and  do  not  be  afraid 
of  inbreeding. 


Green  Bones,  Ete.—l.  How  often  should 
green  bones  be  fed,  and  how  much  to  ten 
hens?  2.  How  often,  and  how  much,  to 
growing  chicks?  3.  Is  it  better  to  keep  the 
pullets  from  other  fowls?  4.  Which  is  the 
better  way  to  feed  clover  to  laying  hens— 
to  cure  it  and  steam  it,  or  feed  it  green? 
5.  Will  young  ducks  thrive  in  brooders' 
as  well  as  with  hens? 

1.  Feed  one  pound  a  day  to  six- 
teen hens.  2.  Keep  it  before  the 
chicks  all  the  time.  3.  It  is  better 
to  keep  them  separate.  4.  Feed  it 
green  in  summer  and  cured  in 
winter.  5.  They  thrive  fully  as 
well  in  brooders. 


The  BorJeing—Why  do  the  Americans  give 
the  Dorkings  such  little  attention?  In 
England  it  is  more  highly  prized  than  any 
other  fowl. 

The  Dorking  is  one  of  the  best  of 
fowls  and  thrives  best  in  England, 
for  reasons  not  well  understood,  as 
they  make  hardy  fowls  in  this 
country  when  matured,  but  the 
<5hicks  are  hard  to  raise.  A  cross  of 
the  Dorking  and  Brahma,  however, 
makes  a  fowl  compact  in  form, 
plump  and  well  adapted  to  America. 


standard  Weiglits.—Vle&se  give  the  Stan- 
dard weights  for  the  various  breeds  of  fowls- 

The  following  table  gives  the  in- 
formation in  concise  form:— 

BREED.  COCK.        COCK'L.     HEN.  PUL. 

Lt.  Brahma....  12  lbs.  10  lbs.  9^2  lbs.  Slbs. 

Dark  do 11    "  9    "  SV^  "  7    " 

All  Cochins..-.  11    "  9    "  S}4  "  7   " 

Langshan 9^2"  8    "  7  "  6    " 

All  P.  Rocks.... 93^"  8    "  IH  "  6I4" 

All  Wyandots.. 81-2 "  7I2"  ^}4  "  S>-2" 

AllJavas 10    "  8}i-'  8  "  63^" 

W.  Dorkings 73;'2  "  6>^"  »  "  5   " 

S.  G.  do 8    "  7   "  614  "  5J^" 

Colored  do 9}^"  8    "  7}4  "  6    " 

All  Minorcas....8    "  (i}^"  61.2  "  5^" 

Red  Caps 7% "  (>    "  6^2  "  5   " 

Am.  DominiqueSi^"  71^"  6J^  "  5^" 

Houdans 7  "  6    "  6  "5 

LaFleche 8i^ "  73^'  7]^  "  6^" 

Creve  Coeur 8    "  7    "  7  "6  " 

If  they  are  under  the  following 
weights  they  are  disqualified  and 
cannot  compete  in  any  well  -regulated 
exhibition,  viz  : 

BREED.  COCK.       COCK'L.      HEN.         PUL. 

Lt.  Brahma....  9  lbs.  714  lbs.  71^  lbs.  6  lbs. 

Dark  do 9    "  1}4"  7       "  5   " 

All  Cochins 7    "  7    "  8       "  5}^" 

Langshans 81,^"  6.)^"  7       '•  5   " 


42 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


Maturity  of  BamJrurgs.-  I  have  Silver 
Spangled  Hamburg  chicks  hatched  the  lat- 
ter part  of  April.  Will  they  be  matured  by 
the  15th  of  September  ? 

They  should  be  matured  by 
September,  as  the  small  breeds 
mature  quickly. 

About  Crosses.— It  I  should  cross  single- 
comb  birds  with  rose  comb,  what  would  be 
the  result  ?  2.  Are  there  rose-comb  Minor- 
cas  ?  3.  Are  eggs  fiom  cross  breeds  ever 
sold  for  hatching?  How  much  are  they 
worth  ?  4.  What  is  the  standard  weight  of 
Lacgshans  and  of  Minorcas  ?  5.  Do  Minor- 
cas  lay  as  large  eggs  as  the  Leghorns  ? 

1.  The  result  will  be  both  rose  and 
single-comb  chicks.  2.  Yes.  3. 
Very  seldom.  Not  much.  4.  Lang- 
shan  male  nine  and  one-half  pounds; 
Minorca  male  eight  pounds,    o.     Yes. 


Broivn    JSygs  and  yon-Sitters  — Do    all 

non-sitters  lay  white  eggs  ? 

It  is,  perhaps,  something  curious 
that  all  the  non-sitting  breeds  lay 
eggs  that  are  pure  white  in  color. 
The  brown  eggs  come  from  the  large 
Asiatic  breeds,  though  the  eggs  from 
Wyandottes,  Langshans  and  Ply- 
mouth Rocks  are  somewhat  dark. 
While  some  of  our  enterprising 
breeders  are  working  on  the  produc 
tion  of  meritorious  new  breeds,  thej' 
might  find  it  profitable  to  turn  their 
attention  to  the  establishment  of  a 
non-sitting  breed  which  will  lay 
brown  eggs.  It  is  a  wide  field  in 
which  to  work,  and,  as  nothing 
seems  impossible  with  this  genera- 
tion, success  may  be  attained.  It  is 
safe  to  state  that  when  a  non-sitting 
breed  (Leghorns,  for  instance),  is 
introduced  that  lays  brown  eggs, 
the  originator  will  find  himself  well 
taxed  to  fill  the  orders  that  will  be 
poured  in  upon  him. 

Eggs  or  Broilers.— Which  does  it  pay  best 
to  produce,  eggs  or  broilers  ? 

The  fact  is  that  both  pay  best.  If 
you  expect  to  make  eggs  pay  and  not 
keep  the  egg  producing  breeds,  you 
will  not  be  so  successful.  But  which 
are  the  egg-producing  breeds  ?  They 
are  those  breeds  that  are  kept  in 
full  exercise,  and  not  over  fed,  and 
which  are  hardy  according  to  the 
climate.  Do  not  lose  sight  of  that 
one  quality  hardinesn.  The  best 
breed  in  New  England  is  not  the 
best  breed  in  Florida.  The  best 
breed  for  confinement  is  not  the  best 


on  the  range.  Where  the  winters 
are  cold  and  long  such  breeds  as  the 
Brahamas,  Cochins,  Plymouth 
Rocks,  Langshans,  Wyandottes,  and 
even  Leghorns,  will  serve  well,  and 
in  more  moderate  climates  the  Leg- 
horns, Hamburgs,  Grames,  Black 
Spanish  and  Minorcas  will  give  good 
results,  but  in  cold  climates,  with 
good  care,  they  will  also  be  profit- 
able. The  man  who  finds  no  money 
in  eggs  is  the  one  who  does  not  im- 
prove his  stock. 


SEVERAL    OllERiES. 


Would  Leghorns  crossed  with 
Dorkings  make  good  broilers  ?  (Yes). 
— At  what  age  should  chicks  of  the 
large  breeds  be  allowed  to  roost 
without  danger  of  crooked  breast 
bone?  (When  about  five  months 
old). — At  what  age  should  Light 
Brahma  pullets  begin  to  lay  ? 
(About  eight  months). — Are  Minorcas 
non-sitters?  (Yes). — Should  pepper 
be  given  to  fowls?  (No).  What 
makes  eggs  sometimes  look  "white 
livered?"  (It  is  on  account  of  the 
feed,  (iive  some  fresh  meat  and 
clover)  — What  is  "vulture  hock?" 
(Stiff  projecting  feathers  at  the 
hock  joint). — Should  all  eggs  from 
the  same  breed  of  fowls  be  of  the 
same  color?  (Not  necessarily). — Will 
coal  ashes  take  the  place  of  road 
dust  for  a  bath?  (Yes). — Is  unsla eked 
lime  injurious  to  fowls  if  they  eat  it? 
(No). — Will  pullets  begin  to  lay 
earlier  if  a  cockerel  runs  with  them? 
(No). — How  many  fowls  are  enough 
to  be  kept  in  a  building  32x23  ft.? 
(Fifty,  in  two  pens,  25  in  each) — 
What  will  take  frost  out  of  frozen 
combs  and  wattles?  (Grlycerine  put 
on  three  times  a  week; — At  what  age 
should  a  Wyandot  cockerel  begin  to 
crow?  (Sometimes  they  crow  when 
three  months  old). — Do  pure-bred 
Wyandots  ever  throw  single  combs? 
(Sometimes,  but  rarely).  If  a  rose- 
comb  Leghorn  cockerel  is  mated  to 
single-comb  pullet  what  comb  would 
the  offspring  have?  (Some  single, 
some  rose).  What  is  the  usual  price 
for  incubator-hatched  chicks  a  day 
old?  (Ten  cents). — Will  hens  swallow 
without  injury,  large  pieces  of  bone? 
(Yes,  as  large  as  a  bean  or  larger). 
— How  shall  I  keep  sun  flower  seeds 
in  winter  ?  (Simply  in  a  dry  place). 
— How  soon  can  I  tell  the  chicks  that 
are  first-class  or  not?  (Not  until 
nearly  grown).— Will  the  black  ever 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


43 


come  off  the  beaks  of  a  Plymouth 
Rock  chick?  (Yes).— Is  a  run  100x50 
feet  large  enough  for  one  cock  and 
ten  hens?  (Yes).— Would  it  be  best 
to  divide  it?  (Yes.).— I  have  a  yard, 
25x70  feet;  my  house  is  about  8x8 
feet,  how  many  fowls  should  I  keep? 
(About  25).  Should  I  keep  my  hens 
and  pullets  in  the  same  yard? 
(Better!  keep  them  separate). — Will 
pullets  hatched  last  April  do  to 
breed  from  this  Spring?    (They  will). 


POINTS   ON  LICE. 


1 .  When  chicks  droop,  and  appear 
sick  without  cause,  especially  in  sum- 
mer, look  for  lice  (not  for  little  red 
mites),  but  the  large  grey  body  lice 
on  the  heads  and  necks. 

2.  If  you  find  them  use  a  few 
drops  of  grease  of  any  kind.  A  tea- 
spoonful  of  oil  of  pennyroyal  to  a 
cup  of  lard  is  excellent. 

3.  Look  under  the  wings  for  the 
red  lice,  but  use  only  a  few  drops  of 
the  lard. 

4.  Never  grease  the  bodies  of 
chicks  unless  lightly,  as  grease  will 
often  kill  them. 

5.  Never  use  kerosene  on  chicks, 
unless  it  be  a  teaspoonf  ul  of  kerosene 
to  a  teacup  of  lard,  as  it  is  irritating. 

6.  Crude  petroleum,  is  always  ex- 
cellent, and  serves  as  a  liniment,  but 
mix  it  with  twice  its  quantity  of 
lard. 

7.  Keep  the  dust  bath  always 
ready.  Use  dry  dirt  and  sifted  coal 
ashes.     Add     carbolate      of     lime, 


Persian  insect  powder,  or  oil  penny- 
royal to  the  dirt. 

8.  To  rid  the  house  of  lice, 
sprinkle  coal  oil  everywhere — floor, 
walls,  roosts,  yards,  roof,  inside  and 
outside,  and  repeat  often. 

9.  Dust  insect  powders  in  tha 
feathers,  and  be  sure  it  is  fresh  and 
good. 

10.  Put  insect  powder  and  tobacco- 
dust  in  the  nests.  Clean  them  out 
every  week. 

11.  Even  when  no  lice  may  be 
present  use  the  sprinkler  of  kerosene 
at  least  once  a  week ;  and  keep  the 
roosts  always  saturated. 

12.  No  matter  how  clean  things 
may  appear  look  for  the  large  lice 
on  the  heads,  throats  and  vents. 

13.  Lice  abound  both  winter  and 
summer,  but  more  especially  in  sum- 
mer. 

14.  One  half  the  chicks  and  young 
turkeys  die  from  lice.  Chicks  or 
turkeys  with  hens  or  turkeys  hens 
always  have  lice,  (either  the  mites 
or  large  lice).     Remember  that. 

15.  Carbolate  of  lime  is  the 
cheapest  powder  to  use  for  dusting 
over  the  floors  and  walls. 

16.  Always  aim  to  get  the  solu- 
tions of  powders  into  the  cracks.and 
crevices. 

17.  The  easiest  and  best  way]  to 
whitewash  is  with  a  force  pump. 
They  are  now  made  to  force  water 
from  a  bucket. 


CHAPTER     Vil. 

T^ux>li:eyi9,    Ducks  a.KLcl  Geese. 


TURKEYS. 

Number    for     Setting. — How     many     eggs 
should  be  placed  under  a  Turkey  hen  ? 

A  good-sized    bird  will  cover    20 


Sore  Eyes  in  Turkeys— 'Wha.t  will  cure  sore 
eyes  in  Turkeys  ? 

It  is  due  to  exposure  during  damp 
weather.  Anoint  heads  with  sweet 
oil,  and  keep  them  warm  and 
sheltered  from  winds. 

Best  \artety  for  the  Farm  — What  breed 
of  turkeys  would  you  advise  the  farmer  to 
keep  ? 

The  Bronze  or  White  Holland,  as 
they  are  hardier  and  not  so  closely 
inbred  as  some  birds. 


Broken  Eggs. — What  can  be  done  with  a 
turkey  hen  that  has  had  a  broken  egg  in  her 
over  a  month  ?  She  appears  quite  and  well. 
Gave  her  castor  oil  but  it  did  not  relieve  her. 
Keep  her  on  straw  and  give  her 
rest.  Oil  the  parts  and  feed  a  table- 
spoonful  of  linseed  meal  daily. 


Cold  in  the  Head. — My  turkeys  are  all 
swelled  in  the  head  under  the  eye  toward 
the  nose,  and  they  sneeze.  Can  you  tell  me 
what  the  trouble  is,  and  the  cure  ? 

It  is  probably  a  cold  in  the  head, 
caused  by  exposure  to  cold  storms  or 
draughts,  probably  from  roosting  on 
trees  during  storms.  Anoint  heads 
with  sweet  oil,  and  keep  the  birds 
sheltered. 

Feed  for  Turks. — What  should  young  turks 
be  fed  the  first  week? 

A  successful  turkey-raiser  feeds  the 
chicks  during  the  first  eight  days  on 
eggs  boiled  hard  and  minced ;  during 
the  second  week  he  adds  to  this 
bread-crumbs,  chopped  with  parsley 
and  onions;  during  the  third  week 
he  keeps  back  the  eggs,  and  only 
continues  the  bread  and  the  veget 
ables;  afterward,  instead  of  the 
bread,  he  gives  moistened  meal, 
boiled  peas,  and  above  all,  millet,  of 
which  young  turkeys  are  very  fond. 


Weight  of  Bronzes. — What  should  Bronze 
turkeys  weigh  ? 

Males  at  six  months  of  age  weigh 
from  1«  to  32  pounds.  Females  10  to 
14  pounds.  Mature  males  30  to  40 
pounds ;  females  18  to  22  pounds. 

Age  for  Breeding  Purposes.— Is  a  turkey 
gobbler  four  or  five  yeais  old  as  good  for 
breeding  purposes  as  one  a  year  old  ? 

A  gobbler  is  better  at  three  or  four 
years  old  as  a  breeder  than  a  year 
old  bird. 


Trouble  from  Lice. — What  ails  our  young 
turkeys?  They  are  active  and  hearty,  but 
in  a  day  or  so  begin  to  die.  They  are 
hatched  by  hens  and  good  care  is  given  them? 
Look  on  the  heads  and  necks  for 
the  large  louse.  Gfrease  heads,  necks 
and  vents,  with  a  few  drops  of  sweet 
oil. 


Turkeys  for  Farmers.—  Ca-n  farmers  do  much 
at  raising  turkeys  ? 

No  one  can  succeed  better  with  tur- 
keys than  the  farmer  if  he  will  be- 
stow upon  them  a  fraction  of  the 
care  he  gives  his  sheep  and  cattle. 
Confinement  does  not  suit  them, 
bat  give  them  the  run  of  the  farm; 
while  they  do  no  damage  to  the 
growing  crops  they  do  them  much 
good  by  their  destruction  of  insects, 
more  especially  grasshoppers,  that 
frequently  destroy  whole  fields  of 
grain.  When  they  can  get  these 
they  require  but  little  other  feed, 
but  they  should  be  fed  a  little  grain 
at  night  so  they  will  be  sure  to  re- 
turn home  to  roost.  Fifty  or  more 
can  be  raised  on  most  -farms  each 
year  without  ever  missing  what  it 
takes  to  keep  them  and  at  Thanks- 
giving they  will  bring  enough  ready 
cash  to  buy  the  winter  clothing  for 
an  ordiuary  family,  or  pay  a  year's 
taxes  on  a  farm. 

Standard  Varieties.— How  many  varieties 
does  the  "  Standard"  recognize? 

Six  breeds — the  Bronze,  White, 
Black,  Buff,  Slate  and  Narragansett. 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


45. 


Best  as  Breeders.~At  what  age  should 
breeders  be  selected  ? 

Do  not  breed  from  a  yearling 
gobbler  if  it  can  be  avoided.  Hens 
should  be  two  years  old. 


Fattening  Turkeys.— State  the  best  feed  to 
fatten  turkeys. 

To  fatten  turkeys  give  them  their 
accustomed  range  and  all  the  cooked 
corn,  meal  and  potatoes  they  will  eat 
up  clean  twice  a  day;  plenty  of 
grain  at  night  and  milk  to  drink  at 
all  times.  Mix  a  little  pulverized 
charcoal  in  the  food  once  a  day. 
Three  weeks  of  this  feeding  and 
your  turkeys  will  be  in  the  best 
possible  condition  for  the  table; 
that  is,  if  they  have  been  growing 
and  in  good  condition  from  the 
start.  Remember  that  no  amount 
of  stuffing  for  a  few  weeks  just  be 
fore  killing  will  make  a  prime,  extra- 
large,  table  or  market  bird  out  of  a 
turkey  that  has  been  starved  and 
stunted. 


Preparing  Turkeys  for  Market. — Give  the 
best  method  of  preparing  turkeys  for  market- 
In  marketing  turkeys  always  have 
them  dressed,  and  be  sure  that  they 
have  been  picked  when  dry.  The 
feathers  should  be  removed  while 
the  bird  is  bleeding,  and  the  draw- 
ing done  immediately  afterwards. 
The  wings  should  be  cut  off  and  the 
neck  bone  where  the  head  has  been 
removed  so  cut  that  the  skin  can  be 
readily  drawn  over  it.  The  neck  is 
then  thorougly  washed  from  blood 
and  wiped  dry,  after  which  the  skin 
is  tied  and  trimmed.  The  remaining 
work  should  be  done  with  neatness 
and  thoroughness.  Thoughtfulness 
and  good  care  should  be  exercised 
from  the  first,  that  the  skin  is  pre- 
served well.  This  gives  the  young 
bird  a  finished  appearance  and  they 
will  command  the  best  prices.  Boxes 
should  be  used  for  packing,  and 
some  believe  it  profitable  to  have 
them  made  to  order.  They  should 
hold  150  to  200  pounds  each  and  the 
birds  should  be  packed  without 
using  paper.  Sort  them  carefully, 
placing  the  larger  and  smaller  birds 
in  separate  boxes.  No  mixture  of 
qualities  should  go  in  one  box.  Pack 
the  birds  closely  when  thoroughly 
eold.  They  should  not  shake  when 
the  cover  is  nailed  down. 


CONDENSED  HINTS  ON  TURKEYS. 

1.  Never  let  young  turkeys  get 
wet.     Dampness  is  fatal. 

2.  Feed  nothing  the  first  twenty- 
four  hours  after  they  are  hatched. 

3.  Before  putting  them  in  the 
coop  see  that  it  is  perfectly  aleBJi  and 
free  from  lice,  and  dust  them  three 
times  a  week  with  Persian  insect 
powder. 

4.  Be  sure  the  hen  is  free  from 
lice.     Dust  her,  too. 

5.  Look  out  for  mites  and  the 
large  lice  on  the  heads,  necks  and 
vents.  Grrease  heads,  necks  and 
vents  with  lard,  but  avoid,  kerosene. 

6.  Nine-tenths  of  tbe  young  tur- 
keys die  from  lice.     Remember  that. 

7.  Filth  will  soon  make  short 
work  of  them.  Feed  on  clean  sur- 
faces. Grive  water  in  a  manner  so 
they  can  only  wet  their  heaks. 

8.  The  first  week  feed  a  mixture 
of  one  egg,  beaten,  and  wheat 
middlings  one  part,  ground  meat  one 
part,  corn  meal  one  part,  mixed,  with 
salt  to  taste,  and  cooked  as  bread, 
then  crumble  for  them,  with  milk  or 
curds  so  they  can  drink  all  they  want 
Feed  every  two  hours  early  and  late. 

9.  Grive  a  little  raw  meat  every 
day ;  also,  finely  chopped  onions,  or 
other  tender  green  food. 

10.  After  the  first  week  keep 
wheat  and  ground  meat,  in  boxes, 
before  them  all  the  time,  but  feed, 
three  times  a  day,  on  a  mixture  of 
corn  meal,  wheat  middlings,  ground 
oats,  cooked,  and  to  which  chopped 
green  food  is  added. 

DUCKS. 

Eggs  DonH  Hatch. — I  want  to  know  why 
my  duck  eggs  did  not  hatch  good.  I  keep 
from  102  to  104  in  an  incubator  and  give 
them  plenty  of  moisture  ? 

Perhaps  you  give  too  much 
moisture.  Duck  eggs  require  but 
little  moisture  at  first.  No  more  at 
any  time  than  hen's  eggs. 


Cholera,  Roup  and  Gapes. — Are  ducks  liable 
to  cholera,  roup,  or  gapes  ? 

They    are     exempt     from    these 
diseases. 


How    Many    Drakes. — How    many    drakes 
should  be  mated  with  24  ducks  ? 

Allow  one  drake   for    five  or  six 
females. 


46 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


Ducks  as  Breeders. — Are  ducks  as  prolific 
layers  as  hens;  and  are  they  as  good 
breeders  ? 

A  duck  will  lay  more  es:gs  than 
some  breeds  of  hens  and  her  eggs 
will  hatch  better. 

Young  Ducks  Eggs. — Will  duck  eggs  hatch 
-as  soon  as  ducks  first  lay? 

It  depends  on  their  condition. 
Sometimes  when  ducks  are  very 
young,  their  eggs  are  not  perfect. 


Weight  of  Pekins. — What  is  the  average 
■weight  of  Pekin  ducks  ? 

If  the  ducks  in  a  flock  average 
seven  pounds  each  it  will  be  a  good 
one.  Standard  weight  is  8  pounds 
for  an  adult  drake  and  seven  pounds 
for  female. 

Heat,  Water,  Etc. — Which  is  best  for  young 
ducks,  top  heat  with  cold  floor,  or  bottom 
heat?  If  the  laying  stock  have  access  to 
river  will  they  do  better,  the  eggs  be  more 
fertile,  and  ducklings  stronger,  than  if  they 
are  yarded,  with  only  water  to  drink? 

Top  heat  is  better.  The  ducks 
will  thrive  better  on  the  water,  but 
it  will  be  more  difficult  to  secure  the 

eggs. 


Pekin  and  Aylesbury. — 1.  What  is  the  differ- 
ence between  the  Pekin  and  Aylesbury  duck? 
2.  How  long  will  eggs  be  good  for  hatching 
after  the  drake  is  removed  ? 

The  Pekin  has  an  orange  colored 
bill,  and  legs  of  a  dark  orange.  The 
Aylesbury  has  flesh-colored  bill 
and  light  orange-colored  legs. 
2.  Probably  about  five  days.  Much 
depends  upon  conditions. 


Pekin  Ducks  as  Layers. — Are  Pekins  good 
layers  ? 

The  Pekins  will  often  begin  to  lay 
when  they  are  six  months  old,  but 
for  next  year  the  layers  should  be 
from  ducklings  hatched  in  April,  or 
the  old  ducks  should  be  retained. 
it  is  better  to  use  old  females  with 
young  drakes,  if  fertile  eggs  are 
desired  early  in  the  season  next 
year.  Pekins  grow  very  fast  and 
mature  early.  When  they  begin  to 
lay,  they  produce  a  large  number  of 
eggs  before  they  cease. 


Dressing  Ducks  for  Market. — How  should 
■ducks  be  dressed  for  market? 

Young  ducks  are  usually  marketed 
dressed,  leaving  on  heads  and  legs, 
but  some  markets  require  the 
entrails  to  be  drawn,  while  others 
do  not. 


Turnips  for  Ducks. — Are  turnips  good  for 
ducks  ? 

Grow  a  crop  of  turnips  for  ducks, 
if  you  intend  to  raise  a  large  number. 
On  the  large  establishments,  where 
hundreds  of  ducks  are  raised,  a 
principal  food  for  them  is  cooked 
turnips,  with  a  small  proportion  of 
ground  grain.  No  crop  can  be 
grown  to  better  advantage  than 
turnips  and  in  no  way  can  turnips 
be  grown  so  profitably  as  to  feed 
them  to  ducks. 


Food  for  Ducklings. — What  is  the  best  food 
for  young  Pekin  ducklings  when  first 
hatched  ?  When  they  are  very  young  is  it 
best  for  them  to  have  water  to  swim  in,  or 
only  enough  to  drink  ? 

Soft  food,  such  as  cornmeal,  bran 
and  ground  oats,  scalded,  four  times 
a  day,  as  much  as  they  will  eat 
should  be  given.  They  should  also 
have  finely  cut  clover,  scalded 
potatoes,  turnips,  or  a  variety  of  any 
kind.  Give  lukewarm  water,  in 
troughs.     Cold  water  causes  cramps. 


Crossing  Ducks. — Give  some  suggestions  on 
crossing  ducks. 

A  cross  between  the  Pekin  drake 
and  Rouen  female  makes  the  best 
duckling,  as  it  is  white  in  color,  like 
the  Pekin,  and  has  the  hardiness  of 
the  Rouen.  Both  breeds  are  very 
large  and  grow  rapidly.  The  white 
color  avoids  pin  feathers  showing 
when  the  ducklings  are  dressed. 
They  are  never  sold  alive,  as  is  the 
case  with  the  adults.  The  Ayles- 
bury is  also  an  excellent  white  duck 
and  nearly  as  large  as  the  Pekin,  the 
two  white  breeds  making  an  ex- 
cellent cross.  Always  use  males  of 
the  Pekin,  Rouen,  or  Aylesbury 
when  grading  up  a  common  flock. 
The  White  Muscovy  drake  and 
Pekin  female  is  an  excellent  cross, 
giving  a  very  compact  carcass. 

Duck  Diseases. — Are  ducks  liable  to  disease 
as  much  as  fowls  ? 

They  are  subject  to  but  few 
diseases.  Cramps  occur  from  cold 
water.  Leg  weakness  comes  from 
damp  quarters  at  night.  Apoplexy 
attacks  grown  ducks  when  they  are 
very  fat,  and  they  are  also  subject  to 
vertigo.  If  attacked  by  the  large, 
grey  body  lice  on  the  heads,  they 
will  appear  apparently  well  and 
suddenly  turn  over  on  their  backs 
and  die.  The  floor  upon  which 
they  sleep  must  be  of  boards  and 
should  be  kept  very  clean  and  dry. 
Dampness  is  fatal  to  young  ducks. 


Five  Hundred  Questions  and  Answers 


47 


Feeding  Duckhngs. — How  should  ducks  be 
■fed  after  twenty-four  hours  old  ? 

Feed  them  on  a  mixture  of  mashed 
potatoes,  which  may  be  thickened 
with  ground  grain  (composed  of 
equal  parts  of  corn  meal,  ground 
oats  and  middlings),  and  give  them 
all  the  milk  they  can  drink.  Scald 
all  the  food  the  first  two  weeks. 
After  they  are  three  days  old,  give 
them  meat,  chopped  fine  (or  ground 
mieat)  mixed  in  their  food  three 
times  a  week.  Chopped  grass,  cab- 
bage, vegetable  tops,  clover  hay 
chopped  and  steeped  in  water,  or 
any  kind  of  green  food  may  be  given 
liberally.  After  the  second  week 
eooked  turnips  and  ground  grain 
will  answer,  with  a  little  ground 
meat.  Feed  four  times  a  day  until 
they  go  to  market. 

GEESE. 

Geese  to  a  Gander. — How  many  geese  should 
Tje  allowed  to  run  with  one  gander  ? 

Greese  pair  if  sexes  are  equal,  and 
it  is  best  to  have  an  equal  number 
of  both  sexes ;  but  four  females  may 
be  allowed  with  a  gander. 


Hens  as  Mothers.— Is  it  better  to  hatch 
their  eggs  out  under  a  hen,  or  to  let  them 
hatch  and  raise  their  own  young? 

Is  it  best  to  allow  the  eggs  to  be 
hatched  under  geese,  as  they  are  the 
natural  mothers.  Hens  do  not 
always  succeed  in  hatching  geese 
«ggs. 

Cost  of  Raising. — How  much  does  it  cost  to 
raise  a  goose  to  maturity  ? 

To  keep  a  goose  confined,  and  the 
food  bought,  the  cost  may  be  any- 
where from  |1  to  §3;  but  if  at  liberty 
the  cost  need  not  be  more  than 
twenty-five  cents. 

Geese  as  Layers. — What  kind  are  the  most 
prolific  layers?  How  many  eggs  will  one  lay 
the  first  year  ?    How  many  the  second  ? 

We  do  not  believe  there  is  much 
difference  in  the  laying  qualities  of 
the  several  breeds.  Twenty  eggs 
are  a  fair  average  the  first  year  after 
maturity ;  but  after  that  it  may 
reach  forty,  as  age  makes  but  little 
difference  after  the  second  year. 


GfosKriffs.— When  should  they  be  allowed  to 
go  in  water  ? 

Not  until  well  feathered,  as  they 
are  liable  to  be  severely  chilled  if  the 
water  is  cold. 


Egg  Production  — What  is  the  best  feed  for 
geese  for  egg  production  ? 

The  best  feed  is  a  variety  of  grain 
and  green  stuff.  They  are  very  fond 
of  foraging. 

The  Toulouse. — Is  the  Toulouse  the  largest 
breed  ? 

The  Toulouse  and  Embden  are  of 
the  same  size.  The  adult  gander 
should  weigh  25  pounds. 


Feed  for  Goslings. — What  is  the  best  feed 
for  young  goslings  ? 

At  first  give  ground  grain,  mixed 
and  scalded,  mixed  with  chopped 
onions.  After  they  are  a  few  days 
old  feed  anything  they  will  eat. 


To  Tell  the  Sex.—Kow  can  I  tell  the  sex  of 
geese  ? 

The  female  has  a  coarse  voice, 
while  that  of  the  male  is  fine.  The 
male  is  heavier  on  the  neck,  and 
masculine  in  appearance. 


Wafer  TVecessary. — Is  a  pond  or  stream  of 
water  a  necessity  in  keeping  geese  ? 

Geese  do  best  on  a  pond  or  stream, 
and  will  wander  to  great  distances. 
They  do  not  thrive  if  denied  a  body 
of  water  in  which  to  enjoy  them- 
selves. 


For  Feathers  and  Market  — Which  are  the 
best  feathers  and  how  much  will  one  yield 
in.  a  year  ?  Which  are  the  best  for  market 
and  what  is  their  "  Standard  "  size  ? 

The  best  breed  for  feathers  is  the 
Embden,  they  being  entirely  white; 
but  the  Toulouse  yield  the  heaviest. 
The  quantity  ranges  from  ^  to  ^ 
pound  a  year.  The  best  for  market 
is  a  cross  of  a  Toulouse  gander  with 
an  Embden  goose.  Both  breeds 
attain,  at  times,  the  weight  of  from 
-twenty  to  twenty-five  pounds  per 
single  bird. 


Selecting  Geese  — Should  I  keep  the  old 
geese  or  sell  them  ? 

In  thinning  out  the  flock  of  geese, 
always  retain  the  old  birds,  as  they 
will  often  live  and  breed  during  th« 
lifetime  of  a  generation.  Greese 
have  been  known  to  hatch  and  raise 
their  young  when  twenty-five  years 
old.  The  old  geese  are  not  saleable 
in  market,  and  as  they  are  better 
layers  and  more  careful  mothers 
than  the  young  geese,  the  latter  can 
be  marketed  with  more  advantage 
and  profit  than  by  selling  off  the  old 
birds. 


INI3EX, 


Apoplexy 

16 

Eggs,  Color 

21 

Nonsitters 

42 

Alfalfa 

36 

Eggs  for  Hatching 

21,23 

Age  of  Fowls 

38 

Egg  Classification 

22 

Onions  and  Eggs 

3 

Beans  for  Fowls 

4 

Egg  Eating 

22 

Oats  Feeding 
Oats  and  Rye 
Oviduct 
Overcrowding 

3 

Beef  Blood 
Buttermilk 
Bone  Meal 

4 
5 

5 

Earth  Floors 
Eggs,  Handling 
Egg  Tester 

26 

32 

21,36 

4 
16 
27 

Bone,  Green 

7,36,41 

Egg  Records 

36 

Pip 

16 

Bronchitis 

16 

Egg-Cross 

39 

Proliflcness 

21 

Bromide  Potash 

17 

Flaxseed 

3 

Packing  Eggs 

22 

Brown  Eggs 

22,  42 

Feeding,  How  Often 

3 

Preserving  Eggs 

23 

Blood  Spots 

23 

Feeding  Ten  Fowls 

4 

Partitions 

24 

Buildings,  Plan 

24,  25 

Feeding  in  General 

5 

Pulling  Primaries 

86 

Broilers,  Best 

30 

Peed  for  Chicks 

5,  7,  37 

Polish  Fowls  - 

37 

Brooder  Chicks 

'  30 

Feeding  Mixed  Grain 

5 

Pumpkin  Seeds 

37 

Brooder  House 

30,  31 

Feeding,  Hints  on 

7,  8 

Partridge  Cochins 

38 

Broiler  Raising     30,  3i 

,  33,  39 

Fattening 

6 

Poultry  Manure 

39,  41 

Black  Minorcas 

35 

Foods,  Wet 

y 

Plaster 

39 

Bantams 

35,  38 

Foot,Bcil  on 

18 

Preserving  Green  Food       40 

Bolton  Grays 

36 

Fumigation 

18,27 

Roup-                          9,1011,15 

Broodiness 

38 

Fertilization 

23 

Rheumatism 

14,  16 

Brown  Leghorn  Comb 

38 

Floor  Space 

26,  41 

Red  Mites 

16 

Black  Spanish 

39 

Floors 

26,27 

Resting  Eggs 

28 

Broilers  or  Eggs 

42 

Green  Oats 

3 

Ridge  on  Shell 

35. 

Carbonaceous  Poods 

3 

Gravel 

5.36 

Sun  Flower  Seeds 

4. 

Clover 
Coal  Ashes 
Calves'  Meat 

4,  6 
4 
5 

Green  Foods 
Grain,  Mixed 
(irit 

4,5,40 

6,  19 
6 
12 

47 

Sugar  Cane  Seed 
Skin  Diseases 

4 

15 

Carrots 

Chicks,  Feed  for 
Charcoal 
Canker 

5 

6,38 

6 

12,  IH 

tirain  Ration 

Gapes 

Geese 

Scabby  Legs 
Sulphur 
Sore  Head 
Scouring 

15 

16 

17,  20 

18 

Cholera 

13,15 

Hash 

5 

Swelled  Head 

!»■ 

Constipation 

15 

House,  Stone-walled 

24 

Suggestions 

'19 

Crop,  Swollen 

15 

House  for  Fowls         24 

,  26,  27 

Soft  Shells 

21 

Colds 

15 

House  for  Four  Breed 

?        27 

Small  Eggs 

21 ,  36 

Comb,  White 

16 

Heating  House 

27 

Shipping  Eggs 

22,  36 

Catarrh 

16 

Handling  Eggs 

31 

Standard 

36 

Comb,  Frosted 

17,  40 

Hamtaurgs 

42 

Shells  for  Fowls 

37 

Condition  Powders 
Cement,  Floor 

18 
27 

Indigestion 
Insects  in  Brooder 

14,15 
17 

Shells,  Composition  of 
Standard  Weights 

39 
41 

Cellar 

30 

Incubator  Eggs 

21 

Tin  othy 

5 

Chicks  Dying  in  Shell 

30,39  ; 

Incubator  Rules 

29,  30 

Tonic 

17,  39 

Coops,  Shipping 

35 

Incubators 

31,34 

Testing  Eggs 

21,  30 

Capons 

Cross  Brfeding      3(5,  37 

35 
39, 42 

Killing  Fowls 

39 

Temperature,  Incubator  30,31 
Toasted  Corn                           38 

Cockerels 

36 

Kerosene 

40 

Temperature  for  House 

41 

Classification 
Carbolic  Acid 

37 
39,  40 

Light  Brahmas 

6 

Turkeys 

44,45 

Discharge  at  Nostrils 
DiarrhcRa 

14 
14 

Leg  Weakness 

Lice                               15 

Liver  Disease 

14,27 

17,43 

19 

Vegetables 
Ventilation     J       =i. 

24,  27 

Dampness 

15 

Limber  Neck 

35 

Worms 

16 

Disinfectant 

17 

Leghorn  Comb 

37 

Warts 

17 

Dorkings 
Ducks 

41 

45,  46 

39 

Meat  Scraps 

4 

Water  Crop 

19' 

Dubbing 

Meat,  Raw 
Moisture,  Incubator 

31 

Winter  Ventilation 
White  Minorcas 

27' 
36 

Ensilage 

6,  41 

Mating 

85 

Whitewash 

37 

Enteritis 

18 

Males                             37, 

39,  41 

Weights  of  Fowls 

41 

Egg-Bound 

18 

Moultii  g 

37 

Yolks,  .Color  of 

40- 

